MUTINY OF CREW

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 61, 8 February 1933, Page 7

MUTINY OF CREW

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. INFLUENCES IN THE EAST. FORCE TO BE EMPLOYED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received February 8, 10.35 a.m. THE HAGUE, Feb. 7.

The Blinister of Defence announced in the House that all Dutch naval forces in the East Indies will be concentrated to deal with the mutineers on the training ship Seven Provinces with whom there is no question of negotiating unless the battle ship immediately and unconditionally surrenders. The Government will employ force to deal with the “desperate influences” undermining Dutch authority in the East. Communists and Socialists interrupted the Minister repeatedly and the Speaker of the Houso was obliged to appeal for a* fair hearing. The Blinister of Defence conversed by telephone with the Rear-Admiral at the East Indies station and is considering forbidding the publication of tlie movements of ships. Army units are concentrated at Serang.

BIESSAGE FROBI CREW,

ACTION TAKEN AS PROTEST.

Received February 8, 10.10 a.m. BATAVIA, Feb. 7. The mutineers have wirelessed: “The Seven Provinces is now in tlie hands of the crew. Our intention is to reach Sourabaya. We will not use force. One day before reaching Sourabaya we will receive our former commander and will hand him the ship. Our aim is to protest against wage cutting and the imprisonment of our comrades who refused to work. There are no wounded prisoners aboard. All is well. —(signed) The Crew.”Public opinion is demanding the stopping of the adventure at the soonest possible moment though some hesitation has been caused by tlie thought of tlie fate of the Dutch prisoners aboard when force is used. Thousands of European, native and Chinese citizens gathered to-night before the Palace of the Governor-Gen-eral singing the National Hymn and expressing their loyalty to and faith in the Governor-General who, in tlie course of a speech, said that the crime of the mutineers would lead them nowhere. The Seven Provinces was last reported as nearing the island of Siberut. STERN BIEASURES ADVOCATED. THE HAGUE, Feb. 6. Dutch newspapers deplore the mutiny on tlie training ship Seven Provinces which is a blow to the prestige of the East Indies. Indignation meetings arc being held demanding stern measures.

Cabinet lias sent instructions to the head of the East Indies Fleet to deal with tlie runaways. Meanwhile the slow Government steamer Aldebaran has been called off the chase and replaced by the faster Eridanus. It is expected that the Seven Provinces will shortly be surrounded as a naval squadron consisting of the cruiser Java and the destroyers Evertsen and Piethein, which obtained fuel at Sourabaya, are engaged in the pursuit. NUBIBER OF CREW. BATAVIA, Feb. 6. The Seven Provinces is the training ship for native ratings. The native crew totalled 230 ; but more than 100 refused to participate in the mutiny. The authorities will not allow the Seven Provinces to pass the straits of Sunda.