BRITISH LINERS
PURCHASES BY JAPAN SOLD FOR' BREAKING UP WARLIKE USE SUGGESTED Extensive purchases of old British liners destined for Japan are believed in certain London newspaper circles to be part of a well-prepared plan to use them for warlike purposes in the event of full-scale hostilities in the Far East. The vessels, which are stipulated by the British parties to be used for “scrap” only, may be broken up and their thousands of tons of metal used for the making of guns and shells. It is considered that, once the ships are handed over to the Japanese and paid for, the Tokio authorities may even decide, in view of,the national emergency, to use some of them as troopships. This impression has been heightened by the fact that the chief officer of one of the vessels, the Baltic, has sailed with her, having a three-year contract to serve the Japanese Government-. ,
Following are the vessels destined for Japanese ports, and the names of the companies under whose flags they sailed’ for so long:—Baltic (23,884 tons), White Star; Megantic (14,878 tons), White ■Star; Caronia (19,785 tons). Cunard; Arcadian (12,015 tons), R.M.S.P. ; Keemun (9075 tons), China Steam Navigation; Macharda ' (9785 tons), Brocklebank;, Malanclia (9915 tons), Brocklebank.-.
The Baltic sailed from Liverpool recently as the result of an urgent message. She was to have remained in Liverpool another fortnight. However, (she received secret orders to be fuelled to leave within 48 • hours. Her destination was Osaka, the famous Japanese port of war. L She left with 15,000 tons of coal to carry her to Japan without weighing anchor at. any port of call on the way. '/ All tHe’inen on board were pledged to secrecy,' and all of them were required to be former seamen, of the; • Roval Navy. Tin’s splendid ship of 23,000 tons, after 27 years’ service on the North Atlantic' run, slid gracefully -out of her. home port, all her lights aglow, to ne\V adventure!, She left exactly as she was on her last trip —not a holt had been' removed. The crew of 77 had the.run of a whole ship which had carried 3000 people on many of her voyages; She had been sold as scrap for £20,000. • Unostentatiously many, other ships had left British shores for the same destination in the previous fortnight. In those cases, too, secret orders had preceded the departure! There were full cargoes of coal for voyages which were planned to end in Japanese waters. All’the ships were instructed to report at Kobe not later than 29th April. The prices paid for these ships-have averaged £1 adorn - The Caronia recently left the shipbreaking yard of Messrs Hughes Bole-’ kow, /at Blyth. Northumberland, for Yokohama. The vessel was renamed the Taisciy Maru before leaving -Britain,' and left with a Japanese crew. I The Japanese flag flew from her masthead. A few days before the Caronia was due to leave Blyth four of her dynamos were damaged by sulphuric: ;Vid being poured into them by some unknown person. The dynamos were removed to'Newcastle for repair. ■
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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 5 April 1933, Page 5
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508BRITISH LINERS Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 5 April 1933, Page 5
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