U.S. FLEET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19363, 21 July 1925, Page 5

U.S. FLEET

MAKING GOOD TIME (By Radio. Special representative of the Australian Press Association.) ABOARD THE SEATTLE, Sunday. Under a summer-like sky and in the warm sun the fleet is moving speedily along its course; in fact, in order to arrive at Melbourne and Sydney at. the designed time it will probably be necessary for the speed to be reduced to nine knots. I At noon the position is 33.54 deg. (south. 160.57 deg. cast. The distance ' from Port Philip entrance is 872 miles, jand the distance from the fleet division (point 587 miles. It must, be rememi bored that we arc very near Sydney, ;but in order that both detachments will arrive at approximately the same time the whole fleet will continue to rendezvous virtually oqui-distant from Melbourne and Sydney, then dividing. Thus our distance from Sydney Heads in round figures is 890 miles. SHIPPING STRIKE HAS AN EFFECT (By radio from the battleship Seattle, by special representative of the Australian Press Association). WELLINGTON. July 20. Officers whose wives are travelling to Australia by the Niagara received advices by wireless from S..va indicating that the women would not be able to 'continue their journey from New Zealand to Sydney owing to the waterside i strike and that it would be necessary • for them to take another steamer from (New Zealand which would land them |on July 28 instead of on July 25. The i news was received with great regret, as jit means their short stay in Australia will bo further reduced. ! Another wireless from the Seattle .this morning gives the position of the • fleet at noon on Sunday as 591 miles .from Port Phillip and 608 from Sydney. The weather was fine and the sea : c-iim. They sighted the Physa, the first steamer that crossed the path of the 'fleet since leaving Honolulu. j The fleet will divide sixty miles off | Gabo on Tuesday, not on Monday night. QUESTION OF LIQUOR ADMIRAL TRUSTS HIS MEN .THE LUKE INCIDENT EXPLAINED (Ter Press AUCKLAND, July 20. i “Evidently the liquor trade is in a • very highly nervous condition when it is so alarmed by the cabled statement that, I vrtiitcd on Admiral Coontz while in Honolulu in the interests of Prohibition,” said Mr C. M. Luke, of Wellington, to-day, ou the arrival of the , Niagara. i Air Luke gave a very emphatic denial to the suggestion Ilfat he had endeavoured to influence the Admiral in the matter of possible drinking among the mon when the fleet is in New Zealand waters. *‘l desire to say.’’ staled Mr Luke, “that 1, with a de'egation from the Y.M.C.A., waited on the Admiral at Honolulu in connection with the entertainment of the men when they arrive in New Zealand and. incidentally only, was reference made to the men of the fleet, who had landled at Honolulu in hatches of from 8000 'to 19.000 daily. 1 remarked upon the ,sobriety of the men as 1 had not soon one drunken man ashore. 1 asked the Admiral if ho had any fear hs to the 'consequences when the men arrive in ‘wet’ countries, and he answered he ihad not. Ho said he relied on his me.n when visiting wet countries to maintain the same high conduct that had marked them in all instances.” MASTERTON PREPARATIONS (Per PrcRM Association.) MASTERTON. July 20. A public meeting was hold to-night to arrange for the reception of American sailors, .”>5O of whom are spending the day here on August. 13. Five days later 50 officers will spend a day and night as guests of the citizens. At a subsequent executive meeting the matter of supplying liquor at the public luncheon was discussed. Opinion was divided on the matter but a resolution that no liquor be provided either sailors or officers at any public function was carried without dissent.