New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 57, 23 October 1914, Page 3

New Zealand

THE SHELLING OF PAPEETE.

[Pbb Pbebs Associate yr.] Auckland, October 22

Interesting accounts of the effects of the German bombardment of Papeete are told by passengers on the falune, which arrived in Auckland today from the Islands. Mr H. Hemus, who made the round trip with the boat, states that when they .arrived off the French port on September 9th .they found the old gunboat Zelee and the German collier Walkure sunk in the harbor, while on every hand there were evidences of damage, done by German shells. The big store of coal which the French had ignited when the Germans first made their appearance was still burning, and the harbor beacons which had been blown up on the approach of the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau were no longer visible. Mr Hemus said that in .spite of the.extensive nature of the damage, he was of opinion that position of the damaged buildings iiidiated that the town was not deliberitely shelled. Practically all the damage lay in the line of the forts on the hill?i, and the gunboat Zelee, and bore nit the account previously given that the shells which dropped on the town vere due to the bad markmanship of the German gunners, consequent upon the swell of tbe sea.

Speaking of the effects of the shells upon the various buildings, Mr Hemus said that in the Circe BoUrgaville, one shell had penetrated the building along the entire length of the roof. Another shell had gone through four different walls without exploding. Amongst tho most extensively damaged business premises in the town are those of Messrs A. B. Donald, In the Due de Commerce. No shells had struck the premises, but they.had been caught by the fire which spread unchecked after

the inhabitants had fled. The front of the store was undamaged, but the remainder of the buildings, stocked with island merchandise of every description, had been destroyed. - lr ::, Air Hemus was unable to giver, an estimate of the damage done to : his firm's premises, but said that.; the French authorities had estimated the damage done to the island at £125,000. Many of the German residents of the town had left Tahiti at the outbreak of the war, but after the bombardment those who were left were taken prisoners, and when the Talune. arrived they were engaged in the task of clearing up the debris. Travellers by the Talune recognised in the perspiring Teutons many residents with whom they previously had been intimately acquainted. While the Talune was in Papeete, the French boat St. Francis, which left to give the alarm at Apia, safely returned.

THE MATTER OF WAR RISKS.

Wellington, October 22. In the House of Representatives this afternoon the Premier read a lengthy statement to the House on the subject of war risks, in which the Imperial authorities agreed to fche New Zealand Government acting as agents to arrange risks. Sir Joseph Ward said that was what ought to have been done at first. Wellestablished firms had all along been in a position to cable Homo and get insurances effected, but the ordinary, man, who had no agents in London,

could not get cover. The trouble wa that there was no place in the Do minion where risks could be taken out The Premier replied that such war the case, because the Imperial authori ties would not permit it. That was why the Government had passed special legislation covering each hull up to £IO,OOO, but the new arrangement was a much better one, and he hoped it would be found satisfactory. Mr Myers pointed out that the pro posal of the British Government onh applied to cargoes in hulls, insured ir. the War Risks Office. What would happen in the case of a hull not so insured ? The Premier: The risk will not bo accepted. Mr Russell suggested that it would be a great convenience if chief branches of the State Fire Insurance Office could accept applications having to be sent in to the head office at Wellington.

The Premier replied that that was being done. >,