Taken By Surprise

Japanese Luggers In N. Australia

WHEN the Australian patrol vessel Larrakia was rushed down from Darwin to the Adelaide River, to pick up a buffalo-shooter who was seriously ill, she caused a wild scamper among Japan ese pearling luggers who were illegally using Guribah Island, northwards of the Crocodile Islands, as a base.

There probably are 100 Japanese lug gers fishing in these waters, and the majority of them sneak into Australian territorial waters, get fuel and water at certain points (which is quite illegal) and make contact with the aboriginals— and especially the- female aboriginals.

About 50 of these luggers have been mak ing their base at Guribah Island.

The Japanese intelligence system said chat the Larrakia was 200 miles away, on the other side of Darwin; and there was almost a panic when she glided in among 11 luggers that were at anchor.

Very shortly afterwards, six more lug gers arrived; but when they saw the Larrakia, they and some of the others tried to get away to sea again.

The Larrakia gave chase; and, when the Japanese would not stop, she fired a number of bursts from her machine guns. That sobered the lugger captains, and the Larrakia rounded them up, off the anchorage at Guribah.

It was a difficult problem for Captain Haultain. It did not seem practicable to arrest the lot and take them to

Darwin. Besides, the thing had an inter national aspect, and Canberra might be annoyed. So he got the Japanese skip pers together, explained the law about territorial waters, and gave them 12 hours to get away off the Australian coast. The Japanese seemed vastly re lieved. They expected confiscation at least —an expectation justified by recent events in New Guinea, the Solomons, the East Indies, and New Caledonia.

The Australian authorities are being blamed for not immediately arresting these law-breaking Japanese and seizing their vessels. The Japanese know the law quite well and are aware that, in breaking it, they risk the confiscation of their vessels. One probable explana tion is that there is a certain doubt about Australia’s ownership of the little is’ands off the north Australian coast.