IN GREAT WATERS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 221, 14 June 1932, Page 3

IN GREAT WATERS

. Liner Captain’s Memoirs STORIES OF THE SEA Captain S. G. S. McNeil, who a year ago retired from the command of the Mauretania, reveals in a fascinating volume of memoirs, “In Great Waters” that during his last hour on the bridge the famous Cunarder narrowly escaped being rammed by a foreign ship in Southampton Water. The Mauretania was halfway up the Channel when a French freighter started to head in toward her: We were only 300 yards apart. . . . He then blew three short blasts, meaning that he was going full-speed astern, and our pilot at once ordered “full astern.” Captain McNeil realised that this would not avert a collision. He countermanded the order, and by swinging the Mauretania’s stern away cleared the freighter by a margin of 15 feet. I have been in a few dangerous positions when we might well have sunk ii deep water on the high seas. But in my last hour of command at sea, the possibility of having the Mauretania’s beautiful side torn open by an ugly freighter’s stem was a situation which even the choicest adjectives of my sail-ing-ship days could not cope with. It appears that the freighter struck the mud and canted over—which lends point to Captain McNeil’s plea for the improvement of the approaches to Southampton. His book is full of pungent comment; especially on the not always cordial relations between the Royal Navy and the Merchant Service during the war, and of stories of adventure in every kind of ship in every kind of weather. He explains the almost endless duties of the captain of a great Atlantic liner, ranging in his case from investigations of alleged thefts to the knocking out of a burly insane stoker. He gives a vivid account of the two voyages three years ago in which the veteran Mauretania beat her own record, although for most of the time weather conditions were far from favourable, and adds: “If oil-fuel consumption were a matter of no moment, she would find the weather sometimes ..and average 2S knots.” Captain McNeil was trained in sail, nnd argues that modern methods of iynining Mercantile Marine officers are E-'JLIy inadequate.

••Foreign countries train their men. in sail and do not do it for the fun of the thing. . . . Our supply of 100 per cent seamen is failing; our whole existence depends on our Merchant Service. But the country with the greatest maritime history is appalingly ignorant of the past and present and careless of the future of the oldest branch of its sea service.” This is a book which should be read not only for. its revelation of a racy personality but for its vigorous appeal to the nation to increase its knowledge of a service which in the past has been unjustly neglected, and is now facing strong competition from foreign rivals.