PATROLLING THE SEAS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 270, 31 October 1916, Page 3

PATROLLING THE SEAS.

ALLIES’ WATCHFUL CRUISERS. AUCKLAND MAN S EXPERIENCE. “We were coming in towards Nantucket,” remarked Mr. J. G. Ralph, to a representative of the Auckland “Star.” “It was dusk, and all of a sudden we saw dimly several big ships about. ‘lt must be the U.S. fleet manoeuvring,’ remarked one of our passengers. Suddenly- we were almost blinded by flashlights, and soon afterwards our vessel stopped. Then there came on board a British and a French naval officer with some men at arms. They first interviewed the captain, and afterwards the order was issued that everyone on board was to line up. We had a passenger on board that all along seemed nervous about British cruisers. He was promptly picked out by the British officer ana told to stand aside. He protested to the captain of our steamer, who merely replied, ‘Better obey <orders sir.’ Another man belonging to the crew w-as next pounced upon. He said in answer to questions that he had been born in New York but the officer replied, ‘No, you came from Bremen. Stand aside.’ Two other men were picked out, and a few minutes afterwards they were taken away in one of the men-of-war boats. Then we went on our way rejoicing.” Mr. J. G. Ralph will be remembered in Auckland as one-time owner of Sylvia Park and one who was interested in mining years ago. He arrived in Auckland quite recently, via Wellington, having come from Argentine, where he has been interested in mining for some years past. Mr. Ralph states that they were making ore worth 18/- per ton pay. but the wages to good miners were only 4/- a day. Having recentlypassed through a portion of Mexico Mr. Ralph was asked the position of affairs there. He replied they were very unsatisfactory, and wher ever he went through they would not give any guarantee of a safe carriage. On the question of th< feeling of the people of the United States towards the Allies, Mr. Ralph remarked that it was not s< much pro-German as apti-British in California, also Detroit and Chicago. The New’ England States or: the other hand were strongly proBritish. In the Argentine, he ex plained, that all the British men of military age had practically gone to the front early in the war, the banks and other companies paying the wages to the wives and families of those who were married. Mr. Ralph expressed surprise that in the Australasian colonies there were still many Germans not interned. as far as he could learn.