A FIJI INCIDENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 67, 2 November 1911, Page 8

A FIJI INCIDENT.

BRITISH AND GERMAN WARSi l! PS. WAR SCARE AT SUVA. A story to hand by tiio A.U.S.N. Co.’s steamer Levuka, which arrivedin Sydney from the Fiji Islands on. mo morning of the 17th October, says chat the population of Suva were recently ‘‘battening down hatches” and' preparing for the worst possibilities of war right in their own harbour. Tiie battle threatened to bo between a German cruiser and two British cruisers, but it did not como off, as--tiro fighting ship carrying the tricolour took to her heels on good advice. ire hero is the story: \Vlien H.M.S. Torch was cruising outside Suva Harbour about the beginning of the month a “stranger” was spied approaching, She was not recognised for a while, but she turned out to be the Gorman cruiser Cormorant, which has visited Sydney several limes, and which is attached to tho Kaiser’s squadron in the Pacific. The reason the Britishers did not recognise her was because her color had been changed from white to admiralty grey. The Cormorant proceeded on and entered tho harbor with tho Torch following her. H.M.S. Promothues was at the time at anchor in Suva Harbour. Tho Moroccan war scare was at its height and not only the British officers, but tho Suva population know that Germany was taking a big hand in the North African question and the reason of tho unannounced visit of the cruiser was not at all clear. The Cormorant was soon making signals, which, of course, the landsmen did not understand. They were responded to by tho British vessels, and Hag messages were exchanged for some time. At last the German cruiser was seen beading for tho sea again, followed tho Government steamer Ranadi, and tho Suva people were more puzzled than ever. It was gleaned from olfi- < ial sources later on that the Cormorant had approached Suva and requested tho authorities to ho allowed to send and receive some important communications through by cable to ana from Germany. The British officers did not relish the idea, and refused. The German protested, hut the Biitish were steadfast. Then it is said the Cormorant was given five minutes to weight anchor and clear out, and promptly did so. There was no demonstration against the German cruised by tho British vessels hut tho Suva people had got an inkling that there was some trouble brewing and were not slow in collecting their valuables ready to vanish lost a. stray shell should land their way. Tho Fiji authorities found it oppurtuno to despatch tho Ranadi on some unknown errand immediately fho Cormorant had cleared port. They might have been suspicions as to tho German’s future movements, hut at any rato tho two vessels arrived at Levuka almost together. I pon the Ranadi turning np just behind her, tlic Cormorant weighed anchor and proceeded apparently out of tho group. A message from Samoa soon after this incident lends color to the whole story by saving: “The Gorman cruiser Cormorant lias arrived here from Fiji without cither mails or papers,”