UNITED STATES CRUISERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 13 January 1938, Page 5

UNITED STATES CRUISERS

NEW ZEALAND VISIT | SHORT STAY AT AUCKLAND (.By Telegraph—Press Association] AUCKLAND, 12th January. Four United States cruisers, one with a displacement of more than 9000 tons and others of the lighter 7000-ton class, will visit New Zealand in February in the course of a 20,000-mile cruise of the Pacific. After representing the United States at Sydney at the | sesquicentennial of New South Wales : from 25th January until 13th February, J they will arrive at Auckland on 17th February. Their stay in New Zealand waters will be brief, however, as they are scheduled to sail two days later for Tahiti on the homeward voyage. The squadron, which is under the command of Rear-Admiral J. C. comprises the Louisville, Trenton, Memphis, and Milwaukee.

Advice received in Melbourne states that the squadron would visit Hawaii from 9th January to 11th January, Pago Pago from 17th January to 19th j January, Sydney from 25th January to j 13th February, Auckland from 17th : February to 19th February, and Tahiti j from 24th February to 26th February. j The ships will arrive home on March 8. I Although the United States consular | officials in both Auckland and Welling- I ton have had no official advice of the I visit to New Zealand, they learned privately some time ago that it was intended that the Louisville should call at Auckland. The Auckland Harbour Board has not been acquainted with the programme, and the Consul-General for the United States, Mr Lowell C. Pink- j erton, said in a telephone conversation | to-night that so far as he knew the j permission of the New Zealand Gev- . ernment had not so far been sought | for a visit.

Illustrating the extent to which international interest has focussed on the Pacific is a report from Los Angeles that the cruisers will carry 10 scouting seaplanes which may be used for an aerial survey of the waters and islands of the South Pacific. When this suggestion was referred to Mr Pinkerton, he said he had no knowledge at all of the cruise apart from the little he had gained privately.