SUNK BY MINE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1940, Page 8

SUNK BY MINE

FATE OF NIAGARA. i OFFICIAL STATEMENT. . : SWEEPERS SENT OUT. , (By Telegraph—Parliamentary Kesorter.) ■ .-..: WELLINGTON, this day. An announcement that the Niagara was sunk by a mine was" made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, prior to the tea adjournment in the House of Representatives ■ last evening; ',In order to remove all-further risks to shipping no vessel was allowed to leave New Zea- ■ land ports last night. This included the inter-island express steamer. ■ .; . Mr. Fraser said that one" of the -first steps-'that- were' taken early yesterday morning was the. immediate dispatch of. nine sweepers to the locality, and he had been advised by the Naval Authofi•'ties that already a mine had been : "swept up.":.- ".This -answera ; any ques- . tion .as'to how the: Niagara, met • her - fate," said' Mr. Fraeer/"and 'all Necessary steps are already being' taken to dispose -of the menace, in this.locality - and to ensure that no 'further losses J shall occur from this cause. ;'*! . ■ Possibility of Raider. : : ; ':.' ■ "Members will of course realise that '.in this war as; in'.tlie. last war" there, is' ':> nothing to prevent an occasional' raider from escaping the ' network of patrols : and embarking upon a career .of stir- . reptitious mine-laying.. It is, of■ course, highly, regrettable'that we should have lost this, ship and her cargo, but there are at' least three very reassuring =•'-; ■. . .- .;■•■"-.- ;;■■•" .• ' "The first is, of course, that so far as can be ascertained at present there has-been absolutely no loss of life; the second'is that once the menace of a minefield is discovered it can ibe easily and quickly disposed "of, and all necessary measures' are, as I have said, being taken to this end; the third is that it disposes of any suspicion that the loss of the Niagara • might have been due to internal treachery. Eemoving Danger. ,"We know now exactly what caused . it; and though it .may bs necessary to .place restrictions on shipping for a. sufficient period to enable all danger to be removed there is no cause whatever for public alarm or uneasiness. ■'-' "In. the. circumstances it has been decided that no vessel shall leave New Zealand ports this evening, therefore the South Island steamers will not sail to-night:" ,■ . : . . Mr.- Fraser said that -he would, like in conclusion to pay a tribute to the NewZealand branch of the Navy. Preparations for long had been made to deal with.ithis sort of thing and those preparations hadrled to the early dispatch of the mine sweepers, and results had been achieved with very great expedition. The" New Zealand the Navy' deserved sincere, thanks. ' (Hear, hear, from members.) . . ■ . .