RUMOUR OF MUTINY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22356, 1 September 1934, Page 18

RUMOUR OF MUTINY

AUSTRALIAN SLOOP CAPTAIN’S DENIAL (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 25. Great interest centres in the survey sloop, H.M.A.S. Moresby, on account of the various rumours that have been associated with the vessel during the past few weeks, and the fact that it has been withdrawn from its special work in northern waters and ordered to rendezvous with the Australian cruiser squadron at Fremantle. When the Moresby* called at Darwin this week, the commanding officer, Lieutenantcommander H. E. Turner, R.N., said that the vessel was proceeding to Fremantle in order that a disciplinary matter might be investigated. Many stories regarding the “disciplinary matter” havo been published. The substance of them is that there has been much discontent among the ratings at treatment from certain officers, culminating on Sunday morning last in a rating striking a petty officer. For that offence, it has been alleged, the man was clapped in irons, whereupon the remainder of the ratings, so the story goes, locked themselves in the riessiroom and refused to open the door until tbs irons were taken off. After that, it has been said, the rating was lodged in the Fanny Bay gaol at Darwin. These events, the published version stated, had all the elements of mutiny until wiser counsels prevailed. Lieutenant-commander Turner hae given all these rumours a categorical denial.. He said there was no dissatisfaction among the men at the treatment they had received , from any of the officers. He had not received one complaint from the lower deck about any officer. The rating alleged to have struck a petty officer was not clapped in irons, and he was not lodged in tha Fanny Bay gaol. There had not been open mutiny on the ship. It is generally believed that tha Moresby has been ordered to Fremantla for the reason that, if a court martial is necessary, there are not enough officers at Darwin to form one. While the vessel was at Darwin this week the men worked as usual, and there was no sign of discontent. On the contrary, two members of the ship’s company, who played in the band at the Workers’ International relief dance, were embroiled in a free fight with the radical members of their audience because they insisted upon concluding the programme of music by playing the National Anthem. They refused to stop playing the Anthem when ordered to do so, and after they had finished they were attacked by a number of men.