TWO SHIPS SUNK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 9

TWO SHIPS SUNK

AMERICAN VESSELS TORPEDOED BY U-EOATS WASHINGTON REACTIONS ("Reed. 7.10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. '2l President Roosevelt announced that I lie freighter Lehigh, of 0524 tons, flying the American (lag, was torpedoed and .sunk by a submarine near the West African coast on Sunday night. Two of three boatloads of survivors are still missing.

The President indicated that he thought the Lehigh was sunk by a German submarine. The attack occurred approximately 100 miles from Freetown, off the coast of Sierra Leone. The Lehigh is the ninth Americanowned ship sunk by sea or air raiders during the war. "The sinking emphasises the urgency of arming American vessels," said the President. "From the way things are going a ship will have to be armed even if it is on a simple freighting voyage between the United States and Cuba. With the Seven Seas all hazardous, the Government will have to arm all American ships." The Lehigh, after discharging cargo at Bilbao, was en route to Takoradi on the Gold Coast to pick up ore consigned to the United States. It is reported that 22 of the crew were picked up by the British vessel Yimy, now en route to Bat hurst.

It is believed that the master of the Lehigh, together with other survivors from the crew, which normally totals 37, are adrift in two lifeboats. The State Department has announced that the freighter Bold Venture, of 3222 tons, operated by the L'nitod States Maritime Commission and flying the Panama flag, was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine on October 16 several hundred miles south of Iceland. Seventeen of the crew of 32 were landed in Iceland. No Americans were in the crew. The Bold Venture was formerly the Danish steamer Alssund. She was bound for Britain with a cargo of steel and copper. Members of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate said that Admiral Stark, United States chief of naval operations, had testified that the destroyer Kearny was escorting a convoy when she was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Atlantic last week.

RETURN TO AMITY

MEXICO AND BRITAIN LEGATIONS TO BE REOPENED (Reed. 0.22 P.m.) MEXICO CITY Oct. 21 It is officially announced that Mexico has resumed diplomatic relations with Britain.

The announcement, said: "The Mexican Government is anxious to restore to normal the relations which were interrupted in 1938 and is firmly convinced that this step will be of mutual benefit. Both countries, therefore, are re-establishing their respective legations."

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken off in 1938, after Britain had sent Notes to Mexico about the expropriation of foreign oil companies in that country. Mexico recently closed all her consulates in Germany and German-occu-pied countries.

WOMEN'S AIR FORCE

PROPOSAL IN CANADA (Reed. 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, Oct, 21 A visiting officer from Canada, Air Vice - Marshal Edwards, said that Canada, anticipating a shortage of manpower, was developing a women's air force, the members oi which would be able in an emergency to take over part of the war tasks of men. There was no suggestion, however, that women would be used in combat.