SEETEUFEL'S TRIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23048, 27 May 1938, Page 8

SEETEUFEL'S TRIP

STORM WEATHERED FEAT OF SEAMANSHIP VON LUCKNER IN SYDNEY ANGLO-GERMAN AMITY' [from oub own correspondent] SYDNEY. May 23 Count Felix von Luckner and his attractive Countess arrived in their auxiliary schooner Seeteufel, 17 days out from New Zealand, having weathered a storm which placed them four days behind schedule. Demonstrations by Communists against von Luckner being allowed to land were made to appear* trivial by the good humour and expressions of friendship by the former commander of the Seeadler, which during the war sank £5.000,000 of British merchant shipping. The storm which threatened disaster to the Seeteufel broke when the yacht was 150 miles from Auckland and drove her to within 45 miles of her starting point. All sail was taken off the Seeteufel, and under the power of her auxiliary Diesel engine the schooner turned back and raced through torrential rain before the gale. "It was a wonderful feat of seamanship by Count von Luckner," said Colin Moore, the young New Zealand radio writer and announcer, who is on the- Seeteufel. "We could not see a chain ahead, and all hands were in fear of their lives. We listened for the surf, and when we heard it the Seeteufel was steered as far away as possible." Very Little Damage to Graft In the early hours of the morning, with the gale still at its height, von Luckner took his ship through the reefs and rounded the bluff into the comparative calm of Whangarei Bay. Later In the voyage a heavy sea struck the yacht astern, tearing the lifeboat loose from its chocks and slightly damaging it. That was the only water which came aboard during the three weeks on the Tasman. The only sign of damage was a split in" the figurehead—a bronze head of the Countess von Luckner — caused by the pounding ,of the huge Tasman waves. The . visitor referred to Germany's desire for Britain's friendship. "Already they understand each other," he said. "Within 12 months the world will be amazed when it learns that Germany and England already have a secret agreement. "Our colonies'( We will get them back. But that is for the diplomats! Better trade between Britain and Germany will mean better friendship. If Britain and Germany once get together, the other nations of Europe will have to follow them." Defence of Australia 4 Count von Luckner laughed at the suggestion that he was a spy and went on to state how Australia would be best served against an invasion, which, he said, would be almost tin possible. Ln the first place, said the Count, it was too far away from a main enemy base. Secondly, it would be a main base itself, with 7,000.000 people to defend it. and great resources. A good, air fleet, he continued, was the beet defence Australia could have. Enemy aeroplanes could achieve little military advantage by dropping bombs on Sydney. The difficulty and expense of carrying enough bombs from a great distance would be enormous. Australian on the other hand, could play havoc with crowded enerav transports.