SPECIAL TRIP

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 209, 5 September 1939, Page 8

SPECIAL TRIP

RETURNING TOURISTS

Many Canadians And Americans Aboard. WELL-KNOWN TRAVELLERS. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received D.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 4. An official message states that 246 Americans were aboard the Athenia, which made a special trip to Liverpool to pick up 101 ot' that number, mostly tourists. All passengers were re.-.cued except those killed in the explosion. I lie Athenia was torpedoed 250 miles we-t of Inishtraliull. A Washington message says the V\ Lite House announced that the Athenia was carrying mostly Canadians and some Americans. Mr. Roosevelt's secretary announced: '"According to oflicial information the ship came from Glasgow to Liverpool' and was bound for Canadsj. bringing refugees. 1 point out that this will show that there was no possibility, according to official information, that tin- ship wis carrying any munitions or anything of that kind."

'I lie London correspondent of the ' New \ork Times" points out that the Americans on board the Athenia were not travelling in a British ship in violation of the United States neutrality laws, because they started the voyage .homeward the da; before war was leclared. Moreover, the American Kmbas«y assisted some of them to obtain a passage.

The torpedoing of the ship without warning and regardless of the neutral passengers aboard, was even more flagrant than the sinking of the Liisitania, and also more reprehensible because, since the (ireat War, Germany has subscribed to the international treaty pledging the signatories to refrain from sinking merchant ships without warning, and without providing for the safety of the passengers and crew.

The American passengers included Mrs. Addison Mallery, wife of the Mayor of Saratoga Springs; Miss Kowena Simpson, daughter of the vice-president of the Houston National Bank of Commerce; Miss Helen Hannay, daughter of Judge Allan Hannay; Miss Dorothy Fonts, daughter of Mr. Fonts, attorney to the Humble Oil and Refining Company; Miss Kct-y liruwn, daughter of a prominent, Texas attorney; Miss Genevieve Morrow, daughter of the president of the Houston Chamber of Commerce: Miss Hull, daughter of Mr. R. 1). Hull, chief engineer of the Southwestern Telephone Company; the wife, son and daughter of Mr. Robert Bridge, disaster relief director of the American Red Cross; Miss Margaret Rooke, professor of Italian at Smith College; J Irs. Mark Feder. chairwoman of the Cincinnati Women's City Charter Committee.

Canadian passengers included Sir Richard Lake, former Lieutenant-Gover-nor of .Saskatchewan, and Lady Lake.