ARCTIC ORDEAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24275, 16 May 1942, Page 7

ARCTIC ORDEAL

SEAMEN OF LOST SHIP LEGS COATED WITH ICE INVERCARGILL MAN'S RESCUE (Special Correspondent) (Eecd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. May 15 A graphic story is told of the rescue with, thick ice formed on his legs of Able-Seaman Thomas Henry King, of Invercargill, when he and 30 sailors clung onto a Carley float for hours after their ship sank while in convoy. Ice prevented King swimming to the rescue ship. "I was on the mess dock preparing for tea when there was a terrific crash," King said. "All the lights went out and we rushed to the upper deck and were ordered to abandon ship. I helped to put the Carley float overboard, also a wounded seaman, but he died in the water, which was covered with fuel-oil four inches thick. "The water was bitterly cold, but I | struggled to the float, kicking off every- | thing except my trousers, and I kept j a singlet on. Then we sat on the float, | blue with cold and teeth chattering, trying to keep up our spirits until picked up. I was never colder in all my life. Two men eventually picked me up from. the float, and removed the ice from my legs. We were stripped and massaged and given a welcome tot of rum and provided with blankets. "I was all right after six hours and had not caught a chill; but I still feel a bit weak in the legs. It was so cold that ice formed thickly all over the ship, and we were obliged to do the rounds, playing a steam hose on every movable part, for instance, on the anti-aircraft guns and machinery, in order to keep them workable." FIGHTING FRANCE UPHOLDING TRADITIONS FAITH IN BRITISH LOYALTY (Eecd. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 14 Broadcasting to the French , Committee regarding territories over which it exercises national sovereignty and French territories which may be occupied by the Allies to help win the war. Genera! de Gaulle said: —"The enemy and his Vichy collaborators loudly accuse our British allies of wishing to seize Madagascar and substitute there British for French sovereignty. The truth is the Allies of France observe with complete loyalty obligations undertaken to respect all her rights. It is fact that in the Free French African bloc 'fighting France' exercises the rights of sovereignty without any restrictions. "It is also a fact that in Syria and Lebanon 'fighting France' will ensure that France upholds the traditional position of our nation. In Madagascar the same loyalty of ■ ur British allies and the same authority of 'fighting France' will ensure that, in spite of the hateful action of Vichy traitors, French sovereignty will neither be interrupted nor eclipsed." General de Gaulle added that it wa£ an easy crime for Vichy traitors to shed French blood by exploiting the spirit of discipline of professional troops and the shortsightedness of certain civil servants. "All the rage of Hitler and all the infamy of Vichy will be of no avail. France has chosen her camp, and it is the camp of victory," he said in conclusion. VICHY IGNORED MARTINIQUE NEGOTIATIONS "WASHINGTON. May 14 The Associated Press says it is authoritatively disclosed that the French warships at Martinique are being immobilised in co-operation with French and American naval and other officials on the spot. Other important details of the negotations are still being discussed. It was emphasised that the negotiations are being carried on directly with Admiral Robert, and the United States is not looking to Vichy in the matter. FREE DENMARK HOPE FOR THE FUTURE CONFIDENCE IN ALLIES (Reed. r>.G p.m.) LONDON. May 14 The Danish Minister of Commerce in 1940. Mr. J. C. Moller, who has escaped to England with his wife and son, described the feelings of his countrymen under the German occupation, says the British official wireless. He was forced out of politics in January, 1941, because he organised patriotic meetings which attracted large audiences. "Ninety per cent of the Danes," said Mr. Moller, "look forward to the day when Denmark will be free again, that is, when Britain and her Allies have won the war," he added. "Although Denmark has its traitors and Quislings, they have no active power. They are not represented in the Government, and of 225 members of Parliament only two are Quislings." The occupation so far from strengthening Danish Nazism, said Mr. Moller, had weakened it. The fight of the Free Danes in Britain, the United States, and elsewhere, was the fight of the Danish people. After speaking of the loss of Danish trade and of Nazi thefts in Denmark, he said that the Danish people believed that from all this struggle and suffering a new world would emerge. They knew that there was nothing in the so-called German New Order. SHARED BY ALL RAW MATERIALS OF WORLD WASHINGTON, May 14 "One of the principal things we are j fighting for is the establishment of new j economic relations," said Mr. Cordell | Hull, Secretary of State for the United ! States, on the occasion of the opening I of the National Foreign Trade Week. I He continued: "According to the Atlantic Charter, all the raw materials of the world after the war must be accessible for victors and vanquished alike. Which involves a new basis for the monetary, financial and all other international relationships." Mr. Hull also emphasised that, according to agreement, lend-lease must only be repaid in a form which would not be a burden on commerce. "Americans must realise that it would be impossible to indulge in such narrowminded economic nationalism as our disastrous tariff policy after the last war. Therefore, we must shoulder full responsibility tor building a better world everywhere." j