"NO FRICTION."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1937, Page 24

"NO FRICTION."

RIVAL WARSHIPS.

MEETING AT CANJON ISLAND.

ANCHORAGE " INCIDENT."

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

HAMILTON", this day.

"There was absolutely no friction between the American and Xew Zealand win-ships," declared Mr. C. B. Michie, leader of the recent New Zealand solar eclipse expedition to Canton Island, in a lecture in Hamilton last evening.

Emphatically denying reports of a naval "incident" concerning Canton Island, Mr. Michie said a report had been published that the American ship had refused to give up an anchorage to 11.M.5. Wellington, but the report, as published, was incorrect. When the Wellington arrived at the island she requested the American ship to make room lor her to anchor. It was true that the American ship did not move, but there was no defiance of the request. Owing to difficult tides an anchorage was not easy to obtain, and the American ship did not move for fear of losing a suitable anchorage. Members of her crew boarded the Wellington and lent assistance to the sloops' navigators and extended every aid. A friendly spirit prevailed between the two expeditions all the time, said the speaker, and to illustrate this he showed slides of social functions arranged by the parties. Mr. Michie also denied the report that the Americans had erected a plinth proclaiming American annexation of the island. The plinth, he said, was merely commemorative of the visit of the solar eclipse party, and in memory of great scientists. The plinth erected by the Xew Zealanders, however, was one proclaiming sovereignty over, the island, although this had been done on behalf of Britain by H.M.S. Leith some months before. •