ON RAIDER WOLF

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 16 April 1920, Page 1

ON RAIDER WOLF

SYDNEY MAN'S EXPERIENCES. Among the passengers who arrived at Sydney by the Osterley was Mr B. R. ]!ensoh, of Ashfield, New South Wales, who had the unenviable experience of travelling round the world in the German raider Wolf. In 1917 he and his wife were travelling from China to Colombo in the Japanese steamer Hitachi Mara, when the Wolf ranged alongside. The whole of the passengers, coal, and valuables were transferred, and the steamer was sunk. All h rinds were transferred later to the Spanish si earner Egotz Mendi, which followed the raider.

"While on the Wolf and the other steamer," saii3 Mr Benson, "we were stopped several times by British and Japanese warships, but the disguise of the Wolf was a masterpiece, and no suspicions were raised.

"Strange .to say, none of the warships sent a boarding party across to us. Had this been done, our plight would assuredly have been discovered, for we were locked in our cabins. One warship which stopped us was the Hampshire." Mr Benson has travelled a great deal in Russia, and in 1917 was at Irkutsk, in Siberia, when the first signs of the Russian revolution were noticed. He said that he did not think the revolution was as bad as had been made out.

"To my mind,"-continued Mr Benson. '.'if Great Britain were to leave Russia alone and look after our interests in the Far East, more material advantage would be gained, for unless intervention is made Japan wall have control of the whole of Eastern Siberia and Manchuria, including the railway right up to Tobolsk. Tlris would be a menace to the future peace of Europe. " I do not think Japan has any designs on Australia, as ia the popular supposition,

because the Japanese., as a geneial rule, does not care to get' too far away from his home land to live permanently. The main idea of Japanese development seems to be centred on Vladivostok. Eastern Siberia, Korea, and Manchuria." Mr Benson was asked whether he considered Bolshevism a menace to the peace of Europe. "No," he replied. "It is only the attempt of political renegades to gain power. Half of the peasant population of Russia does not know what the figlung is for. M. Eerenskv, when he assumed power, made the grave mistake of throwing op*n the borders, and, as a result, political refugees trom all parts of the worJ', have hastened back to Russia. On realising his mistake he closed the borders again, with the result that hundreds and thousands -were held up in Korea.

"Japan protested, and threatened to lake action unless M. Kerensky again threw open the borders and allowed these people entrance to Russia. This action caused the downfall of Kerensky."