THE PRINCE OF WALES

Marlborough Express, Volume LIIII, Issue 80, 6 April 1920, Page 5

THE PRINCE OF WALES

BRITAIN ANT) THE WEST

INDIES.

PASSAGE* THROUGH PANAMA

CANAL,

RENOWN'S PROPELLER

DAMAGED

PANAMA, April 3. During liis visit to Barbadoes, at the State dinner at Government House the Prince of Wales, in a speech, referred scathingly to the proposal that the West Indies should be sold tp pay a portion of the British external war debt. . "It should be known," he said, "that the King's subjects, are not for sale to other Governments. .As free men their future is in their own hands." The reference was tumultuously acclaimed.

Juwt before the Renown entered the Culebra. Cut—now' officially named Gaillard Cut, after the engineer who planned the work—it was reported that a large rock had been located in the bottom of the channel opposite Culebra village, It was found that there was only twenty i'oet of water over the obstruction. The work of removal was commenced immediately. Eventually divers shattered the rock with, explosives, and moving elowly the Renown passed over the spot safely, after a delay of three hours. It is considered that the rock was squeezed up into the channel by the pressure of surrounding rock formations.

The Uenown's starboard propeller was damaged during the blasting operations to clear the Culebra Cut.