U-BOAT MENACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24244, 9 April 1942, Page 8

U-BOAT MENACE

UNITED STATES METHODS MANY MORE PATROL CRAFT WASHINGTON, April 7 Colonel Frank Knox, Secretary to the Navy, at a press conference, said that submarine attacks along the Atlantic coast of the United States dropped considerably last week. This might be due to the protective methods recently enforced by the Navy. The Navy's experience had shown that U-boats operated in waves and therefore it was necessary to keep that fact in mind as it was possibly responsible in part for the decline.

Colonel Knox said: "We are now getting very complete obedience from shipping in protected lanes along the coast. We have provided spots for safe anchorage at nights and are constantly enlarging the number of patrol craft, while we have considerably enlarged air patrols." Colonel Knox added that 000 patrol craft are under construction at a rapid rate. They were vessels of 110 ft. to 180 ft. Furthermore, "blimp" deliveries were coming along. The new blimps would be very valuable. They are small, have a low rate of speed, stay out a long time and carry depth charges. Asked how the war was going for the Navy in the Pacific, lie replied that it was too large a question, but added: "The longer the war lasts the more I am impressed by the fact that the American sailor is just as great a sea fighter as ever in the history of America."

The Havana newspaper, El Mundo, said to-day that seven freighters were torpedoed during the past 48 hours, six of them south of Cape Hatteras, off North Carolina, one in the Mona Passage, between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Five were American ships and one British and their size varied from 1500 to 2600 tons.

A Rio de Janeiro message states that the Government has announced that the Brazilian merchantman Cape Dello, formerly the Prussia, which sailed from Philadelphia on February 14 with 55 persons, is missing, presumed lost. This makes the fourth Brazilian ship sunk since Brazil severed relations with the Axis.

The Brazilian Government is reported to be arming all merchant ships in order to defend themselves against Axis submarines, following disclosures of the loss of the fifth Brazilian ship. A high shipping official said the merchant fleet would also sail without lights at night. Over 100 Brazilians have been killed as a result of submarine actions.

WIDOWS' PENSIONS SCHEME IN AUSTRALIA SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN (Reed. 1.10 a.m.) SYDNEY, April S The Federal Government has decided to introduce throughout Australia a widows' pension scheme which will embrace the schemes already operating in New South Wales and other States. The Minister of Social Security,, Mr. Holloway, announcing this, said he hoped the proposed uniform taxation system would lay the foundation for a complete scheme of Commonwealth social security legislation. The Minister added that legislation to implement the pension scheme would be introduced in June. It would include child endowment for all widows' children under 16 years of age, as well as old-age and invalid pensions. The legislation would also improve the benefits for blind pensioners, by allowing them to earn the basic wage without reducing their pensions.

SCHOOL UNIFORMS ABOLITION SOUGHT (,lined. 1.10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, April 8 To aid the war effort the Federal Government wants school uniforms abolished for the duration of the war. The Minister of War Organisation has appealed to the principals of boys' and girls' colleges to suspend the rules requiring uniforms to bo worn. Ho said some of the larger schools had already relaxed their rules. Failure to comply with his request might bring an official ban. The reason for the request was the great demand being made on the clothing industry by the Armed Forces, The Government wished to reduce very considerably the civilian demand for special shades and materials.