THE MERCANTILE MARINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17729, 13 September 1919, Page 6

THE MERCANTILE MARINE

COMMANDER COL VERT'S WARM TRIBUTE. THE NEW'TRIPLE ALLIANCE. Speaking at an entertainment given at Lyttelton by a branch of tho British and Foreign Sailors' Society, Commander Colver; said that when the war first started he could well remember people suggesting that possibly trouble would be experienced with the crews of the mercantile marine, in view of the fact that they had to face, especially in the early stages of tho war, dangers against which they were not provided with a weapon of any sort of defence." It was also suggested that the seamen would possibly insist on protection being afforded them before they put to sea. But things wero happily the opnosite. Tho ships put to seathe men braved the dangers around the British Isles, and did not givo '"'a tinker's dam," and blew into Scapa Flow," bringing thousands and thousands of tons of provisions, coal, and ammunition, without which, of course, the navy could have done nothing. When tho colliers drew alongsido the battleships the officers and crews of tho colliers were supplied with bread from the - canteens of the fighting ships, and gradually tho gap which had existed before the war was bridged right over; and now they felt I very ftrongly that there was no gap existing. Tlicy wero all seamen, and their wish was. to help one another. Before the war they had heard a lot about the- Triple Alliance; now they had a Triple Alliance greater than ever before—tho navy, and army, and tho mercantile marine.