COPPER FOR THE ENEMY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 54, 27 November 1917, Page 5

COPPER FOR THE ENEMY

SHIP'S ENGINEER SENT TO I PRISON. In a London Police Court recently, a ship's engineer' was charged on remand with having on July 23 "stolen from on board the British ship Dirk, at Rotterdam, about half a ton weight of iron fire bars and Bft. of Jiti. copper pipe with two brass flanges, together of the value of £10, the property of the Ministry of Shipping and the Restriction of Enemy Supplies Depart-' ment."

Mr. R. D. Muir, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said there was a:' further charge against prisoner under regulation 2E of the Defence of the Realm Regulations which mado it an offence to sell copper of any kind outside the United Kingdom. When the ship was lying at Rotterdam the prisoner, who was chief engineer, removed and sold to iv Dutch dealer the iron bars and copper piping mentioned in the chargo. The Germans, whose frontier adjoined that of Holland, were in desperate need of copper, as the prisoner must have known. The amount) of copper sold in this particular instance was not large, but if the engineer of each ship that went from this country to a neutral port of the Continent did as the prisoner had done, the restrictions on tho supply of material to the enemy would bo to a great extent rendered ineffective. Sergeant F. Eveleigh, of Scotland Yard, said that when charged with selling the copper piping the prisoner replied, "I was not aware I Mas doing anv harm."

The prisoner: That is quite true. I was myself deceived, and did not know I was doing wrong. I know it now, and am very sorry. I liave made a mistake which I shall never forget as long as I live. Mr. Garrett said he would not deal with the charge of larceny, but only with that of selling copper outside tho "United THngdotn. copper would, it might be assumed, ultimately find its way to enemy hands. It was a- serious offenco, and ho must pass a sentenca of tliree months' imprisonment in tho second division.