ROYAL OAK AFFAIR

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 150, 24 March 1928, Page 10

ROYAL OAK AFFAIR

COURT-MARTIAL AT EARLY DATE QUESTIONS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS NATURE OF CHARGES NOT REVEALED By Telegraph.—Press association —Copyright. London, March 22. In the House of Commons Colonel C. M. Headlam, Under-Secretary for the Admiralty, answering a question, said that the Royal Oak court-martial would be held at the earliest possible date. The Commander-in-Chief in the Nlediterranean would settle the charges. Commander Bellairs (C.) : Will the officers go to Gibraltar not knowing the charges i Coldonel Headlam: No. Commander Bellairs: Then why not inform the House ? * , Colonel Headlam: It is never the custom to reveal the charges at courtsmartial. Commander Kenworthy (Lab.) : tn view of the extraordinary stories in the Press, ought not the whole facts available to be made public at the earliest moment ? Colonel Headlam : The Admiralty sees no reason why these courts-martial should be different from any other. Commander Kenworthy: As we must go back a centurv to find a case of a Rear-Admiral being forced to haul down his flag, is. not this more than an ordinary court-martial ? There is no question of the fairness of the court-mar-tial but if the reference of the Court is restricted the matter cannot properly be examined. • Colonel Headlam : All this is as clear to the Admiralty as to you. A.P.A. and “Sun.” SUBMARINE’S NARROW ESCAPE STRUCK BY DESTROYER WHILE SUBMERGED (Rec. March 23, 9 p.m.) London, March 22. Submarine R 4 had a narrow escape during exercises in the Channel. Sh was struck while submerged by the destroyer Thruster, her periscope being carried away and some bridge work dcma"ed. The submarine was coming to the surface after a forty-feet dive, and came up-right under the destroyer. If she had been a foot or two nearer the surface she would probably have been sunk. Nobody was injured. The submarine was assisted to return to Portsmouth. The naval authorities are reticent concerning the mishap. BRITISH CRUISERS IN SOUTH AMERICAN WATERS Rugby, March 22. The British Admiralty has recently arranged for two cruisers to be present in South American waters during the major part of the year. It is probable that one of the two cruisers will spend most of her time on the West Coast of the South American continent and the other on the East Coast. Thev will continue to be based, with the remaining ships of the squadron, on Bermuda—British Official Wireless.