HARASSED BY THE ENEMY

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1914, Page 5

HARASSED BY THE ENEMY

SHIPS SUNK BY THE EMDEN. COAL FROM BATAVIA. FREMANTLE, Sept. 24. Passengers by the Moldavia state that four German cruisers are harassing shipping near India, although it ? is believed that the Russian cruiser Askold sank one in a duel in the Fsx East on September 8. The .steamers; Diplomat and E!ablinga were sunk by; the Emden. Both vessels were travel-* ' ling from Calcutta to Colombo. ' The German Far East squadron be- : fore the war consisted of -five cruiser?, two torpedo boats, three gunboats, and three river boats; *but according to 11 Far Eastern exchange, held by a pa#>' senger on the Moldavia, nine German men-o '-war and one Austrian cruiserwere held up in Kiao-chau Bay.' Among the Moldavia's " passengers' from Coipmbawas Mr. W. Padbiwjr, a well known West Australian merchant, who had been shut up in Java since the beginning of the war, and then left for^ * Colombo/r via Batavia and Singapore, by the Dutch steamer Rembrandt. * r . Mr. Padbury states that previous to the war the Germans had stored a large quantity of coal at. Batavia, and supplices were twice taken from, there after war had been declared. Hehadthe authority of the captain of the* Rembrandt in saying that two English cruisers came into Batavia and inquired why this coal had been allowed to g0... After this the local authorities would! not allow- any coal to go, and^ fired; across the bow a vessel that attempted to take some. '.'lt is assumed, 'V said Mr. Padbury, "that these vessels' whicißL took the coal from. Batavia subsequently supplied the German cruiser Emden. . . .-...• "There is no doubt," he concluded,, "that the Dutch people in Java are very friendly indeed, 'towards Britain.''