33 LIVES LOST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23487, 26 October 1939, Page 11

33 LIVES LOST

TORPEDOED LINER MORE SHIPS SUNK TWO BRITISH STEAHEBS RESCUES BY AMERICAN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 25, fi.25 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 25 Seven women and 10 children, Including four of one family, besides Naval, Army and Air Force officers returning from the East, are among the missing passengers of the Bibhy liner Yorkshire, which was torpedoed last week. The agents report that 33 lives were lost. Mrs. A. C. Barber, widow of one of the victims, was missing from the Channel steamer which brought the survivors to England. The motor liner Clan Chisholm. of 7256 tons, has been sunk. The Clan Chisholm was built two years ago. The company's large fleet is well-known in South African and Australian waters. It is believed that 63 members of the crew are missing. The American motor-ship Crown City rescued the entire crew of 31 of the British ship Ledbury, of 3528 tons, and also five from the British steamer Menin Ridge, of 2474 tons. Twenty-two members of the crew of the latter were lost. The Crown City was within 300 miles of Gibraltar. The Greek steamer Konstantinos Hadjipateras, of 5962 tons, was sunk in the North Sea. The master, Captain G. Halkias, blames enemy action. A lifeboat landed 15 members of the crew picked up by a British ship, while a second vessel saved eight others. Three seamen and a pilot, who are missing, were last seen swimming after diving from the deck. RESCUES AT SEA SEVEN GERMAN FLIERS ANOTHER FOUND DEAD (Received October 25. f1.25 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 25 A British warship yesterday landed two German airmen on the east coast of England. They had been in a rubber boat for three days after a British flier had shot them down. Subsequently a British ship rescued and landed three more German airmen from a wrecked bomber. It is understood that they were shot down by fire from a warship. A fourth airman was dead when he was discovered. A message from Copenhagen says a Danish steamer landed at Korsor, Denmark, two German airmen who had been rescued from the wreckage of a drifting aeroplane in the North Sea. One was wounded and taken to hospital. The other was interned.

ANXIOUS VOYAGE LINER IN ATLANTIC WATCH FOR SUBMARINES NEW YORK, Oct. 21 Zig-zagging for 10 days across the Atlantic on a voyage on which lifebelts were worn or carried continuously, was described by New Zealanders and Australians on board a British liner which has arrived at New York. The majority of the 341 passengers were New Zealanders or Australians returning bv the Pacific owing to the uncertainty of the Suez Canal service. The weather in the Atlantic was rough and the liner had no convoy. She was able to maintain over 16 knots. The vessel was painted war grey from masthead to waterline, and the ports were blacked over and closed all night, making the cabins hot and stuffy, 'five ship carried two guns on the stern. Mr. W. G. James. Controller of Music for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, said: "There was an exceh lent spirit on board. The passengers were constantly watching the sea. However, the only shots one heard were our own gun practice. Boredom was the worst enemy. We would almost have welcomed an incident." The British Broadcasting Corporation propaganda, he added, was proving effective.

VALUABLE SERVICE BRITISH OBSERVER POSTS MERCHANT SHIPS SAVED LONDON, Oct. 21 Tlie British Observer Corps, which maintains throughout tho country watching and listening posts against enemy attack, has saved at least two merchant ships. When two ships collided at night off the east coast one was holed, and it sent out S.O.S. messages with its siren, which were heard at one post. The observers at another post saw rockets. Men in lifeboats saved the crew of 12. At a second post on the west coast an explosion was heard and a message was sent, to the Admiralty, which despatched tugs to a steamer that had been holed by a mine or torpedo. The tugs beached the steamer, in spite of it being in a sinking condition, while destroyers hunted the submarine.

UNITY OF ALLIES INTIMATE AND CONFIDENT British Wireless LONDON, Oct. 21 Tlio retiring British Ambassador to France, Sir Eric Phipps, in a broadcast farewell to the French people, said:— "I have always worked for a closer relationship between our two countries, and now that the hour of my departure has come it is good to know that, faced with the danger threatening the world, our two countries are as one, and that the understanding between our Governments and our peoples'is most intimate, most cordial and most confident. "That understanding must be perpetuated bevond the common victory, so that it will be possible to lay down the basis of a world where the common law will be understanding and not the hate of neighbours." . Sir Eric arrived in London to-day.

NO GUNS ON ATHENIA WASHINGTON. Oct. 21 The Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, has received a Canadian Note giving formal assurances that the Athenia carried no guns, ammunition or munitions, either in her cargo or as stores.

MYSTERY LINER WATCHED BY GUNBOAT GERMAN SHIP IN MEXICO EFFORT TO TRANSHIP CARGO By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 20, 12.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 25 Tlie German liner Hnvellnnd, of 6334 tons, anchored in Manzanillo Harbour, Mexico, simultaneously with the United States gunboat Erie. The German ship is refuelling, ostensibly to continue her voyago, but is trying to tranship cargo originally destined for the United States, indicating that she has new sailing orders. It is reported that when the Erie accosted the Havelland off Oaxaca, Mexico, the German vessel hoisted the Netherlands flag, but when asked for her real flag, displayed the swastika. LIMITS TO BOMBING ATTITUDE OF ALLIES ONLY MILITARY OBJECTIVES SPARING OF CIVILIANS British Wireless LONDON, Oct, 24 The Foreign Under-Secretary, Mr. R. A. Butler, was asked in the House of Commons to-day whether, in view of the declared policy of restricting aerial warfare to military objectives, the Government considered approaching neutral Powers, including the United States, with a view to their proposing both to belligerents and non-belligerents a code of aerial warfare, together with means for reports on observations of violation. In reply, Mr. Butler said the Government did not consider further action beyond the policy already declared would be of assistance in the matter, especially when the extreme difficulty of reporting the observance of a violation of the rules was considered. The British and French Governments, it will bo remembered, published a joint declaration on September 3 in response to Mr. Roosevelt's appeal, which set forth the intention to spare civilian populations, as well as historic buildings, provided the enemy observed like rules. The declaration also stated that the two Governments had "some time ago sent explicit instructions to the commanders of armed forces prohibiting bombing, whether from the air or sea, or by artillery on the land, of any except strictly military objectives in the narrowest sense of the word." In the House of Commons of September 19 the Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, stated: —"The restrictions that we, like the French, have imposed upon the operations of our own forces, were based upon a condition of similar restraint being observed by our opponents. The British Government holds itself free, if such restraint is not in fact observed, to take such action as it might deem appropriate.

"But I wish to add that whatever be the lengths to which others may go, this Government will never resort to deliberate attack on women, children and other civilians for purposes of mere terrorism."

MINISTERIAL CHANGES BRITISH APPOINTMENTS LORD MACMILLAN'S POST (Received October 25, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Oct, '2l The Daily Herald states that Lord Macmillan, Minister of Information, has resigned, but the Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, has not yet accepted the resignation. The following Ministerial appointments wore announced this evening, says a British official wireless message:—Captain Charles Waterhouse, to be Assistant Postmaster-General, and Mr. William Mabane, to be Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Home Security. The War Office announces that Sir Herbert Creedv, who has been Permanent Under-Secretary for War since 19*21, and a member and secretary of the Army Council since 1920, has retired. He is to be succeeded by Sir James Grigg.

NO PEACE MOVE CONFERENCES IN BERLIN ROUTINE DISCUSSIONS BERLIN, Oct. 21 A semi-official statement denied that Count von der Schulenburg, Ambassador in Moscow, and Herr von Mackensen. envoy in Rome, have been recalled to report to Hitler, or that a new peace move is pending from Rome. The official news agency discounts the importance of Hitler's conferences with his district leaders and ambassadors, and describes them as routine. The news agency adds that the German attitude toward the war is clear. There is no reason to make a new peace move.