“BATTLE OF THE SEAS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 July 1941, Page 2

“BATTLE OF THE SEAS”

SIR R. CROSS CONFIDENT NEED FOR MORE SHIPS AUCKLAND, July 13. A warm and sincere welcome was given to the new High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Australia (Sir Ronald Cross), until recently the British Minister for Shipping, when he arrived at Auckland on Saturday by the Monterey from San Francisco, on his way to take up his new post at Canberra. The Act-ing-Prime Minister (Mr. Nash) came from Wellington to meet the visitor, who was also greeted by the High Commissioners for the United Kingdom (Sir Harry Batterbee) and Canada (Dr. W. G. Riddell), and the.Act-ing-Australian Trade Commissioner (Mr. J. L. Menzies). At a dinner given to him by Mr. Nash, Sir Ronald met other representatives of the Government and leaders of public life in Auckland. He left for Sydney this morning. Sir Ronald was,, accompanied by Lady Cross, their three young daughters, Mr. M. L. Antrobus (his first secretary), and Mrs. Antrobus, Captain Francis Lloyd (second secretary), and Mr. J. S. Duncan, Commonwealth Official Secretary in Great Britain, and Mrs. Duncan. After the Monterey berthed, Captain Holland-Martin, A.D.C., went aboard to convey the greetings of the Governor-General, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Cyfil Newall. At the official dinner a large and representative gathering included the Hon. W. E. Parry and the Hon. P. C. Webb. In proposing Sir Ronald’s health, Mr. Nash pointed out that significance was added to Sir Ronald Cross’s visit by the new policy of sending British Ministers to look after the United Kingdom’s interests in the Dominions, and to ensure that the Dominions’ interests were properly cared for in the councils of the Empire. Like Mr. Malcolm MacDonald in Canada, and the present Ambassador to Moscow (Sir Stafford Cripps), said Mr. Nash, Sir Ronald Cross retained his seat in the Cabinet, and in the House of Commons. The new practice not only strengthened relations in war time, but laid the foundations to close collaboration in the difficult period after the war. . Sir Ronald, replying, said he had never’ expected that in the greatest struggle in history, he should have an opportunity to fulfil a long-cherished wish to visit New Zealand, which had long been famous for the beauty of her land and was now renowned for the magnificent fighting qualities of her sons. He regretted that his present visit was so limited and so short, but he hoped to remedy this as soon as the exigencies of war allowed. After dinner, Sir Ronald accompanied Mr. Nash to the annual prize night at the Herne Bay Yacht Club (an organisation for boys), and distributed the. prizes. CARGO SPACE PROSPECTS AUCKLAND, July 12. No prospect of New Zealand being able to obtain additional refrigerated space for sending produce overseas is held out by Sir Ronald Cross. “Great Britain has only a limited amount of refrigerated space, and it is essential that shins so equipped be used on the shortest runs,” he said. “If additional ships to carry meat and dairv produce were placed on the New Zealand schedule it would mean an increased amount of long-distance running, and meat from nearer countries would not be available for the British people. The policy of getting the maximum amount from the closest places must be maintained. Practically speaking, we are the only country that builds refrigerated ships. Military needs comes first always.” Sir Ronald did not take seriously a suggestion that Dominion produce be shipped to the Pacific coast of America,* then railed to the Atlantic seaboard and shipped to Britain. It had been established that ships. carrying produce Could reach Britain more soeedily by using the Panama Canal. Double loading and discharging would be involved. Had the scheme been worth while on the score of time expense would not have ruled it out. “We are taking all the meat we are able to from New Zealand,” he said, adding that New Zealand could probably do more in the future by canning for shipment by tramp steamers. The Argentine was canning to capacity. He said it was of paramount importance to New Zealand to get meat away. “CRISIS THIS YEAR.” MR. NASH'S TRIBUTE AUCKLAND, July 13. . The considered belief that this year’s crisis in what he called, “the battle of the seas,” would be surmounted by the combined efforts of Great Britain and the United States, especially in shipbuilding, was stated by Sir Ronald Cross, until lately British Minister for Shipping, and now High Commissioner-Designate to Australia, in his address at the dinner given to him by the New Zealand Government in Auckland on Saturday night. While not under-estimating the difficulties of 1941, Sir Ronald affirmed his hope that the great outpouring of war equipment would make it possible then to select the time, place and scale of the*ultimate attacks upon the enemy. n . In proposing the health of the visitor, the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr. Nash) praised Sir Ronald’s energy and nerspicacity earlier in the war period as Minister for Economic Warfare. In this office, he said. Sir Ronald had laid magnificent foundations lor the use of one of the most potent weapons available against the enemy. Mr. Nash stated- the New Zealand Government’s indebtedness to Sir Ronald, as Minister for Shipping, for the consideration he had shown to its representations and for his effective aid in facilitating the sea carriage of commodities from and to the Dominion. To the long negotiations over tonnage for New Zealand products he had brought an atmosphere of understanding and goodwill, which had done much to make possible the recent comprehensive agreement regarding shipment, storage, and the procedure for dealing with post-war surpluses. Throughout, he had shown real appreciation of New Zealand’s contribution toward the winning of the conflict and a desire to maintain and strengthen Imperial ties. “The work that the United States is doing is not understood now as it will be some day,” remarked Mr. Nash. “A lot of it is unknown to the gene’ral public, but I believe that the supplies which America has sent, and will send, will enable us to hold on. We have lost a vast deal of tonnage, and our guest to-night has had the job of finding the ships to carry both men. and food stuffs. We owe him a tremendous debt for what he has done.” In returning thanks for “this line and friendly welcome,” Sir Ronald Cross remarked, with a smile, that he could have understood it if the New Zealand community had thought, that the former Minister for Shipping should be given a somewhat hotter reception. “My contacts with your High Commissioner. Mr. W. Jordan,” he continued, “made me realise the difficulties confronting New Zealand because of the shortage of ships. I have been very glad to hear of the new export agreement, first by Wireless, and now from Mr. Nash. I have a feeling that a confession is due. but I have nothing to confess. . .1 have done my best and I am glad that from

your point of view it has hot been a bad best after all.” (Applause). ' ECONOMIES IN SPACE.

Sir Ronald Cross congratulated New Zealand on the efforts .that had been made toward economising space by the special packing of export products. It had been a real help, he said, and he had been able to promise that the allocation of shipping space would not he reduced on account of the economies. , ■„ ... Speaking of the battle of the Atlantic, he said before the coining of the phrase he had predicted that the battle of 1941 would be_a battle of the seas, which he thought, was a better description. The enemy was striking a hard blow at the heart of the United Kingdom, and at the whole Empire, for all the shipping was in a single pool. In a sense, it should be ranked as an additional Dominion, for it was common to all parts of the Empire and was the mortar without which the bricks .would fall apart, whether war or peace prevailed. To-day, every battle depended on shipping and . shipping was the Empire’s chief bottle-neck. I left office,” continued Sir Ronald, ‘ in the belief, after sober contemplation, that we could see our way through it everyone gave of his best, perhaps particularly in the shipyards. When I left, huge American contracts had been placed, and with British shipbuilding they should suffice to see us through. But dates of delivery are ot the utmost consequence.”—P.A. SUCCESS AGAINST U-BOATS RUGBY, July 12. Speaking at Southend in War Weapons Week, the First Lord of the Adimiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander) said 'he wished to mention three matters which gave cause for sober confidence at the moment. “The first,” he said, “is the serious interference which the Navy and the Royal AnForce are jointly causing to the German supply lines to Libya, and which must greatly disarrange German plans there. . ni „ “The second is that aircraft of the Coastal and Bomber Commands have been sinking and damaging a large amount of enemy shipping. In fact, the figures for tonnage so attacked are high enough to have an increasingly crippling effect. The third—this will, I know, rejoice your hearts—is the encouragement caused to the Naval Staff by recent experiences in regard to the destruction of U-boats. I am not going to help the enemy by saying where or when we have sunk them, or how many we have sunk, but I will tell you that during the last few weeks we have had particularly successful times.” BAD WEEKFOR AXIS "LONDON, July 11. As a result of intensified and almost continual attack by British forces, at least 37 enemy ships, totalling more than 105,000 tons, are reported to have been gravely damaged during the week ended last Monday? At least 40,000 tons of this shipping is known to have been sunk, and it is almost certain that much more of it is a total loss. BLOCKADE RUNNER FAILS.

LONDON, July 11. The Admiralty announced to-day that the German vessel Hermes, of 7200 tons, has been intercepted, and her master, officers, and men taken prisoner. , , No statement has been made m London as to where or how the Hermes was intercepted, but it is known that she left. Rio de Janeiro on June 28 in an attempt to run the blockade and reach Hamburg She was carrying a mixed cargo of cotton, hides, cast iron, and fuel oil. DUTCH SINK TANKER. LONDON, July 13. ' The Netherlands Admiralty announces that one of the Netherlands submarines operating in co-operation with the British Navy, had sunk a heavily-laden enemy tanker of 81)00 tons in the Mediterranean.