“THE NAVAL INCIDENT”

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20270, 12 August 1937, Page 9

“THE NAVAL INCIDENT”

SOLAR PARTIES AT CANTON DENIAL OF DISTURBANCE. DOMINION LEADER’S CLAIMS. An emphatic denial of what has been referred to as the naval incident in connection with the visit of solar eclipse expeditions to Canton Island last June was given by the leader of the New ZieaJland party, Mr 0. B. Mtchie, when lecturing In Hamilton last evening. Mr Michie said that a report had been published that the ship on which the American party had reached Canton had refused to give anchorage to H.M.S. Wellington, the New Zealand sloop which had conveyed the members of. the Dominion expedition to the island. The report had been incorrectly written. The speaker emphatically denied Its truth, and maintained that no difference had ever occurred between the two ships. The speaker said that when the Wellington arrived at Canton It requested the American ship to make room for it to anchor. It was true that the ship did not move, but Mr Michie gave an assurance that it was not in defiance- He said that owing to difficult tides an anchorage was not easy to obtain, and the American ship did not weigh anchor for fear of losing a suitable anchorage. Members of her crew boarded the Wellington and lent assistance to the sloop’s navigators and extended every aid in safely anchoring the Dominion ship. A friendly spirit prevailed between the two expeditions at all times, and to illustrate this Mr Michie showed slides of social functions arranged by the two parties. British Sovereignty. The lecturer also denied that the Americans had erected a plinth to proclaim American annexation. The plinth was merely commemorative of the visit of the solar eolipse party and in memory of great scientists. The plinth erected by the New Zealanders, however, was proclaiming sovereignty over the Island although this had been done on behalf of Great Britain by H.M.S. Leith some months prior.