THOSE ELUSIVE GERMAN CRUISERS.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13594, 8 October 1914, Page 2

THOSE ELUSIVE GERMAN CRUISERS.

The German cruisers still at liberty in the Pacific are gradually piling up a fair toll, which, however, is insignificant when compared with the absolute crushing of Germany's mercantile marine. In considering the British losses it should be remembered that, since nearly one-half of the mercantile marine of the world flies the British flag, the liability of British shipping to attack is relatively very much great er than that of any other nation. The losses that have been sustained, moreover, represent only a trifling proportion of the local mercantile marine of the Empire. The latest exploit of the enemy's "flying" squadron is the sinking a French gunboat near Tahiti by the cruisers Schamhorst and Gneisenau, which are no doubt operating in the Pacific with the cruisers Nurnberg and Leipzig and the gunboat' Geier, whose "whereabouts," so it was reported from Sydney some weeks ago, were "known to the fleet.'' "Whereabouts 5' is a fairly comprehensive term, and in the case of the vast expanse of the Pacific, may embrace an area of tens of thousands of square miles, sufficient scope for elusive cruisers to do some little damage. The Nurnberg put into Honolulu for coal on September Ist, and steaming from there she called at points along the Mexican coast. She met the Liepzig near Panama, where 100 time-expired men were transported from the latter vessel to the 'Nurnberg,' intended to strengthen the German garrison at Tsingtau. Whether those time-expired men over reached the port now being bombarded by the Japanese is doubtful. The Nurnberg was seen in company with the Scharnho'rst near Apia on September 11th. To-day it is reported that the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sank a French gunboat 1500 miles west of where the Schamhorst was seen eleven days previously. It will thus be seen that the German cruisers are moving about rapidly, which is necessary in view of the hunt which is no doubt, being instituted by the British, French, and Japanese warships in the Pacific. Surely their capture or "disposal" cannot much longer bo delayed.—Wanganui "Herald."