SHELLING OF NAURU

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1940, Page 7

SHELLING OF NAURU

MR. HUGHES’ STATEMENT

WARSHIP SEEKS RAIDER

[by cable— press assn.—copyright.]

SYDNEY, December 29. The Australian Minister for the Navy (Mr Hughes) said that an Australian warship was on the trail of the German raider which shelled Nauru Island on Friday morning. Mr Hughes stated that radio communication with Nauru was now reestablished. He disclosed that the name used by the raider, which flew Japanese colours, .was either the Nanyo Maru or the Manyo Maru, both of which appear in Lloyd’s Register. Giving an account of the bombardment, Mr Hughes said that in semidarkness, just before dawn on Friday, the raider signalled a warning to the Nauru radio station not to use its wireless. It added that it was going to shell the phosphate loading jetties. Then, having, satisfied itself that there were no warships in sight, it hoisted the Nazi flag and. opened fire at point-blank range. The raider shelled the potash store and loading gear, the cantilever loading jetty and cantilever, and all the oil storage tanks. “The oil fuel tanks are still blazing, but the power station is jntact,” said Mr Hughes. “No private houses were fired on and nobody was injured.” In conclusion, Mr Hughes said he did not think the damage done was as great as was first feared. He did not' think it would amount to £1,000,000, as estimated in one quarter. The general manager of the British Phosphate Commission (Mr A. H. Gaze) said that the damage done would purobably be irreparable. The buildings and plant were valued at £2,000,000. The island, which is composed of almost pure phosphate, has defence only sufficient to cope with a landing party and cannot reply to shelling. The island is five days’ sail from Sydney, and its deposits are worked by the British Phosphate Commission.

EIGHT SURFACE RAIDERS?

WASHINGTON, December 29

Naval circles in Washington believe there are perhaps eight Nazi surface raiders operating in the Atlantic- and the Pacific. It is believed that two or three are in the Pacific and probably five others in the north and south Atlantic. It is also believed that at least some of them, particularly those in the Pacific, are refuelled and provisioned from secret bases. Naval circles are confident that all will eventually be caught and destroyed.

JAPAESE ATTITUDE.

TOKIO, December 29. A spokesman of the Navy Office said there ‘was no information con-firming-the claim that the raider flew the Japanese flag and used a Japanese name.

Tokio newspapers gave lukewarm treatment to..the..story, carrying brief Melbourne dispatches without, commenting on the report that the raider flew Japanese colours.

JAPANESE DENIALS.

TOKIO, December 28

The Japanese Navy Spokesman characterised as “false and fabricated” the reports that German vessels in Japanese-controlled China harbours are arming for raiding activities. He said that the Japanese Navy had not permitted such a thing, and no such activities were at present in progress in the afore-mentioned harbours.

He said: “Such reports are undoubtedly similar to the unconfirmed report that a German warship with a Japanese name and flag has shelled Nauru Island on purpose to cause a disturbance.” He also said that the Navy was without information that German raiders were active and were making a rendezvous at Japanese mandated islands.

MR FRASER’S STATEMENT.

WELLINGTON, December 28

The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) said to-day, with reference to' the attack by a German raider on Nauru, that he was in close touch with the Australian Government, which was responsible for Naurau, and that he was at present awaiting information as to the damage that had been done. To meet such a contingency, some reserve supplies of rock phosphate had been built up in the Dominion with a view to limiting interference, as far as possible, with the supply of fertiliser to primary producers. A further statement will be made in due course, added Mr Fraser.

FARMERS REASSURED.

AUCKLAND, December 29. “The damage to the plant at Nauru Island is a grievous loss, but I can say that we have already begun to take steps to deal with the situation,” said Sir Albert Ellis, the New Zealand member of the British Phosphate Commission, in an interview. “At present, of course, it is possible to speak only in general terms, but I am in close touch with the central office of the commission in Melbourne and I hope to make more specific information available before long.” In anticipation of war risks, Sir Albert said, additional stocks of rock phosphate had been built up in New Zealand since about the beginning of .the present year. Material had been 'stored in' varying quantities in the open at various fertiliser works and had been drawn upon simultaneously with indoor stocks. The use to be made of these extra stocks in the present emergency was naturally bound up with what the commission, would do to make up for the reduction in output from Nauru. “There is no need for farmers to ‘get the wind up,’ ” he added. “This is just a difficulty to be overcome and we are going to use every available means to overcome it. We are already in touch with other sources of supply.” Sir Albert went on to say that at the time of the raider’s attack there was a stock of about 60,000 tons of crushed and dried rock phosphate on Nauru. While it was impossible to be definite at this stage,, he felt certain that means of shipping it would be found, although the process would necessarily be slow, in comparison with loading from a cantilever. H

repalled that some years ago, when all the demands could not be met from Nauru and Ocean islands, the commission had nurchased supplies from Makatea and Christmas Island in the Pacific and from Florida and Morocco. So far as repairs to the Nauru nlant were concerned, Sir Albert said that the magnitude of the task had vet to be assessed. However, the commission had on its staff men with a wealth of special experience that would be of the highest value. They had been tackling .the greatest possible difficulties, including those of pioneering for, many years past, .nd he was sure they would rise to this occasion. '