THE BLOCKADES

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1940, Page 7

THE BLOCKADES

HUGE U.S.A. SUPPLIES Reaching Germany VIA PACIFIC AND RUSSIA. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn I (Received March 14, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 14. Huge cargoes of rubber, tin, lead, copper and machinery are believed to be still reaching Germany from America, being transported along uncontrolled Pacific Ocean routes, to which the Russian mercantile fleet has been diverted. It is stated that the transport over the Trans-Siberian railway is the most expensive in the world, and that freights now cost £l2/10/- sterling per ton. Blockade in Pacific ALLIES PREPARING. (Received March 14, 5.50 p.m.) LONDON. March 14. The First Lord of the Admiralty,! Hon. Winston Churchill, and the Allied naval chiefs have assured the Minister of Economic Warfare that the task of patrolling the Pacific Ocean to prevent leakages of war cargoes to Germany, via Vladivostock, is not beyond their powers. Before Pacific contraband control can be established, however, the Governments of Canada, Australia, Japan and Holland must be consulted.

British Contraband Control 23 SHIPS AT BASES. (Received March 14, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, March 14. There were twenty-three ships in contraband control bases on Tuesday, of which fourteen have been there for one week or less. During the week ended on Saturday last, a Contraband Committee considered the cargoes of sixty-eight ships, which had arrived at central ports since March 2, and also forty-six cargoes that were outstanding from the previous week. Large Oil Tanker Mined BUT TOWED TO PORT. (Received March 14, 5 p.m.) RUGBY, March 14. Authoritative naval circles in London state that the reports that a British 10,516-ton oil ranker, the Charles F. Meyer, which was damaged by an explosion on March 4m, lhas been abandoned, are entirely without foundation. Her captain and crew, despite the vessel having been severely damaged, remained aboard, working through the night to save the ship, which was towed into harbour by a British warship. She - lies safely docked in port Wlth cargo intact.

LOSS OF GERMAN SHIP (Received March 15, 1.20 a.m.) LONDON. March 14. The German Official News Agency reports the sinking of the ship Escher •• sheim which was coal-laden, and going from Bremen to Oslo. She sank off Jutland. Nine of her crew of 33 were lost. Messages from Copenhagen state that shore observers express the opinion that the sinking of the vessel looked like a scuttling because she settled down slowly. GERMANS SEIZE VESSEL (Received March 14, 8.30 p.m.) OSLO, March 14. The Germans intercepted the ship Balder, bound for Bergen, in Norway. They have taken her to Wesermuende. Efforts to obtain her release have been unsuccessful.

? The Germans 5 Bell i - J TOLLING FOR SINKINGS. E AND SOMETIMES FOR ) NOTHING! RUGBY, March 14. The bell of one of the most famous German liners is being used to announce over the Zeesen Wireless Station the destruction by German action of any enemy vessels. It had an unfortunate initiation by tolling the sinking of the ship, San Florentino, of 12,842 tons, which, however had not been even attacked, and which now, after unloading a cargo at a British port, is in the process of another voyage. ! The bell has continued to toll the -> destruction of a number of British ships which are still peacefully i carrying on their duties. j The bell was tolled six. times on i Tuesday, and the loss of six ships is 3 indicated in “consequence of German t counter-measures,” one of these bel ing the Dutch vessel, Amor, which . I was bound from a neutral port to a J neutral port. The only ships dam- ! aged by naval action were the Greex ’| ship Niritos, and also a neutral vesJ sei bound for q neutral port from J a neutral port. The bell was toned J again on Tuesday 7 night to announce that “the armed British patrol boat. Halifax, has gone down.” In fact, the Halifax was a fishing trawler, which', as already renorted, caught a mine in her net. She was damaged by the explosion of the mine, but ■ was taken in tow for two hours before she sank. Her only casualty was a minor injury to one man. ITALY’S COAL SUPPLY. ROME. March 13. Italv and Germany have reached an agreement for shipments of coal to Italy by railway, using three and nossibly four Alpine passes. Both Italian and German trucks: will be used for the transport of coal from Poland, the Ruhr and \Westnhalia. The agreement will enable Italian re- . ouirements to be covered almost com- ' pletely.