SAMOS INCIDENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 19 July 1934, Page 5

SAMOS INCIDENT

QUESTION IN COMMONS BRITISH ACTION. Press Association Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, Tuesday. In the House of Commons to-day Sir John Simon was asked if he could state the circumstances in which a party of British officers, bathing off the Island of Samos, were fired on by Turkish sol-' diers, and one British officer was killed. . The Foreign Secretary said that, according to reports received by the Admiralty, the boat in question was a skiff belonging to H.M.S. Devonshire, which was lying off the Greek Island of Samos. The skiff had approached under sail to within 100 yards of the Turkish mainland, where some 10 soldiers appeared, and, according to reports received by the British naval authorities, waved tho boat away. The boat immediately went about, but the soldiers opened fire, killing Surgeon-Lieutenant Robinson and slightly wounding Lieutenant Maunscll in the shoulder. On hearing of these events, Sir John Simon said that he immediately asked the Turkish Ambassador to come to see him, and, after detailing the circumstances to him, as far as he knew them, drerv attention to the gravity of this occurrence. Fethi Bey undertook to telegraph immediately to his Government and the British Ambassador in Turkey had also been instructed to take the matter up Avith the Turkish Government on similar lines. He understood that the Turkish Ambassador had norv received some information, and had communicated it to the Foreign Office this morning, but he could not yet get any further details. He Avas sure the House Avould join Avith the Government in regretting this unhappy incident, and in expressing deep sympathy Avith the relatives. * It is understood that the, captain of 11.M.5. Devonshire has had an intervieAV Avith the local Turkish authorities, avlio are collaborating in the search for the body of the dead officer. —British Wireless.

BRITISH ENQUIRY REQUEST

DISLIKED BY TURKS.

(Received Thursday, 9.5 a.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE, Wednesday

Turkish circles are surprised at the British request for a further enquiry, and declare that the demand that the local authorities co-operate Avith British naval officers in an investigation on the spot is a most unusual procedure.