TORPEDO OR MINE ?
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Our attention has just been drawn to the letter of Sir Arnold Wilson published in your issue of February 18th.
As we have been instructed on behalf of, and are acting for, the owners of the s.s. Endymion,' perhaps we may be permitted to supply answers to the points raised in this letter.
The sole cargo of the ship consisted of coke, carried from Newport (Mon.) on behalf of a private firm who, so we under- stand, had not insured it. The ship was British and was insured by the owners.
Contrary to Sir Arnold Wilson's statement, the Endymion' did not carry an all-Spanish born crew. The owners are British, and British born, as were all the officers, whilst the remainder of the crew was of mixed Spanish and Portuguese origin. The Captain (part-owner) of the Endymion,' who
was amongst those killed, had been an Officer of the R.N.R., and served in that capacity during the War.
The s.s. `Endymion' had, in fact, until her last and fatal voyage, been trading to ports in insurgent territory.
At the time of the explosion the ship was not, as Sir Arnold Wilson suggests, barely under way, but was travelling at a speed of approximately 5 knots. All the evidence in our possession, including sworn statements of the survivors (two of them officers), who, it must be remembered, were actually present on the occasion, points exclusively to the fact that the damage was caused by a torpedo and not a mine.
We suggest that Sir Arnold Wilson should have endeavoured to ascertain the full facts before implying, as he does in his letter, a number of matters adverse to our clients, and which, if they were true, could not fail to harm their rightful claim to compensation.—We are, yours, &c.,
HY. S. L. POLAK AND CO.
Danes Inn House, 265 Strand, W.C. 2.
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