RESIST CLAIM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23490, 30 October 1939, Page 10

RESIST CLAIM

I AMERICAN VIEWS

duty of soviet RETURN OF VESSEL ACTIONS UNJUSTIFIED r®«ceived October 2!J, 7.18 p.m.) NEW YORK. Oct. 28 The Washington correspondent of the New York Times considers that the Ststfe Department's statement is intended as a basis for resistance of any 'claim for permanent possession of the City of Flint that Germany might advance in the Prize Court. The statement also reflects the intense irritation of White House at tho Russian attitude to tho American Ambassador, Mr. Steinhardt, in failing to accord him facilities i'or ascertaining tho facts. The statement factually recites tho circumstances surrounding the City of Fliilt since her seizure by the Deutschland, stressing that when she entered Murmansk the plea that she had not the charts necessary to navigate to a German port must be ignored or considered ■unsatisfactory, since tho German crew was interned.

The second and entirely different reason, that th© ship had defective machinery, was not advanced until later in justification of tho release of the Germans and of permitting the ship to depart with the German and 'American crews aboard instead of returning the vessel to the American crew.

The statement continues that the known facts support the United States' contention that the Germans did not, .when,, entering, offer reasonable and justifiable grounds for taking the City of Flint* to Murmansk, and therefore it was tho clear duty of the Soviet to return the ship to the American crow. The statement adds that, in spite of Mr. Steinhardt's difficulties, the German 'authorities wore not without information.

AUSTRALIAN NAVY [NEW COMMANDING OFFICER MR, CHURCHILL'S MESSAGE (Received Oclobor 20, 11.40 p.m.) ADELAIDE Oct. 20 Rear-Admiral John Gregory Grace, the new Commander-in-Chief of the • Hoy6l 'Australian Navy, has arrived, and brings an encouraging message from the First Lord of the Admiralty Mr. Churchill, to the Australian Navy and the Australian people: "Tell them to keep their spirits up. There is nothing to fear, Britain is full of hope." Rear-Admiral Grace told interviewers that, having come from England, ho could personally endorse the First lord's message. LAND CONFISCATION WESTERN UKRAINE VOTE LONDON. Oct. 28 The' ■ Western Ukraine People's Assembly has passed a resolution in favoxir of the introduction of tho Soviet regime, and of the incorporation of the Western Ukraine with the Soviet Ukraine. " The voting also supported confiscation of landed estates, nationalisation of banks, and tho setting up of largescale ■ industry. M. Stalin was elected . honorary President.