Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1941. THE NAVY STRIKES AGAIN.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1941. THE NAVY STRIKES AGAIN.

JN light of the fuller information now available the magnitude of the defeat inflicted on the Italian fleet in the lonian Sea is definitely confirmed. At. least five enemy warships were sunk—three large cruisers and two destroyers—anil another cruiser and destroyer probably shared the same fate. It is established, too, that a 35,000-ton battleship of the Littorio class was so damaged by British aircraft that her speed was reduced, though she contrived to escape from the pursuing British squadron. Official reports show that this mighty blow was struck without damage or casualties to the British ships, though two British aircraft were lost. Enemy reports of the sinking of British ships are untrue. Considering Hint. the Italian warships, as always, were in 'flight and'doing their utmost to evade action, the achievement of the British Navy is a truly splendid addition to what has gone before. Not, a little of the credit won in the action evidently must go to the airmen who so gallantly attacked the enemy ships and slowed their flight sufficiently to bring them within reach of the guns of the famous War,spite and her consorts. The Italian fleet presumably was intent on a hit and run . raid on British sea commmiinications. ' Nothing could well be less calculated than the outcome to encourage any further attempts of a similar kind. It is noteworthy, too, that the action was fought within easy reach by air of Sicily, where the Germans have established large forces of Stuka dive-bombers and other aircraft. Apparently, however, the only part that Nazi planes played was in preventing the rescue by British ships of drowning Italian seamen. Nothing 'could have been less inauspicious from Italy’s point of view than that this terrible addition to an unbroken series of defeats and disasters on sea and land should have coincided, or almost so, with the arrival in Rome of the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr Matsuoka. It may. be supposed that an inspection of the Italian fleet will not be included in the programme for the.entertainment of the Japanese emissary, and it will be strange indeed if the optimistic faith in the Tripartite Pact expressed by Mr Matsuoka on his arrival in Berlin survives the shock of late events —amongst them Die crushing defeats suffered .by Italy in Africa and Albania, the decisive withdrawal of Yugoslavia from the Axis fold and now a naval battle in which even the speed of its ships did not save Italy from what may well prove, to be an overwhelming and crowning disaster. AN INDICTMENT OF NEGLECT. EVEN f rom the summary of its report which appears in our news columns today, it may be seen that the setting up of a commission of inquiry, presided over by Mr Justice Callan, to inquire into the loss of certain vessels by enemy action, and an alleged leakage of information, was very necessary and has been more than justified. While it is'clear from the report that some statements made after the event credited the enemy raiders with a greater command than they actually possessed of information about shipping movements in this part of the world, it is much more important that the commission directs attention to a serious neglect in a number of directions of what might have been regarded as obvious precautions in maintaining the greatest possible secrecy in regard to shipping movements. In the course of its report, which runs to nineteen printed foolscap pages, the commission points to many particulars in which the practice even of public authorities and shipping companies in regard to the dissemination of information relating to shipping movements might, be improved upon, and in support of its view that “our national habits facilitate the acquisition by an enemy agent of knowlelge of intended shipping movements.’’ In some instances, the commission is able to state that action has been taken towards remedying weaknesses brought to light, in the course of its inquiry. Nothing less can be regarded as meeting vital national, interests, however, than an assurance by the Government that the whole position will be overhauled in its details with a view to narrowing to a practicable minimrim the escape of information regarding projected shipping movements. A section of the report, which needs and is entitled to the widest attention is that in which the commission comments on evidence of a reckless disregard by the general public, in letters and cables abroad, of the duly of abstaining from any disclosure of shipping information. Citing evidence of a widespread and glaring neglect of this duty, the commission observes: It can readily be understood that this species of stupidity on the part of the public is very disheartening. Apparently none of these rash correspondents has ever envisaged the possibility of our air mail falling into the hands of the enemy. It should be a thought ever present to every one that anything committed to transit by sea, air, cable, or radio may suffer that fate. Ai it is, the energies of a large body of censors, which ought to be available for some useful form of war work, such as tracking down an enemy agent, are consumed in the task of protecting the country from the consequences of the folly of its own citizens. This task is thankless, never-ending, and should be entirely unnecessary. Every loyal New Zealander should appreciale the force of these strictures and the warning they embody. The practice here condemned is only saved from being criminal by being due to almost, incredibly thought less folly. -The report of the commission is a valuable document. Il all the more demands the attention both of our responsible authorities, departments, shipping companies and other organisations. and the public since many of the reconiniendallons made and precautions enjoined should have been instituted and observed as a matter of course at and froi.n the outbreak of war.