A Link With War I

M. Claude Nouveau died in Papeete last September. The fact that he was born at sea aboard the Tahiti schooner f“Gauloise” on September 17, 1897, is of no great interest but “Gauloise” later be came “Lutece” (shown herewith), and ‘“Lutece” had a history worth recalling.

, As “Gauloise” this fvessel was owned by Societe Commerciale de I’Oceanle, affiliate of the famous DHPG firm, until she was seized at the out break of World War I and, under new ownership, given her name of “Lutece”.

It was little realised then that three years later she would re turn to German iwnership under Iramatic circum itances.

In command of Captain Pedro Miller ihe was about her ormal business when he sighted a vessel

tranded in Mopelia lagoon. A too-close xamination proved that it was the Ger man commerce-raider “Seeadler” which ince leaving Germany the previous Jecember had sunk the vessels “British eoman” and “Pinmore” in the Atlantic nd the three American schooners “A. B. ohnson”, “Manila”, and “R. C. Slade” ear French Oceania. Many survivors of icse and part of the officers and crew f “Seeadler” (ex British “Pass of

Panama ), were on the beach. Some of the latter promptly seized “Lutece”. Vo n Luckner and others had departed some time earlier in the shin’s launch, touch ing at Atiu, Aitutaki, and Niue in Sep tember ,1917, as they headed west—to be captured in Fiji. But that is another “Lutece”, with the remaining Germans,

headed west toward* . the pooiltion nf f.. t America, and witfa P interest and E fi 4 if Is,and watched ih. ® 4 nd finall y amazement as October t 0 th T Is i and on end her davs ? WCnt a ! h ° re ’ to a nd were evenfnaiit ® e £ mans & ot ashore, Chile™ wlrsSn C .^ le bv a (which * ona ld s Tereora Z !l) uni fan .sea during World nicked in ! „? a P tain J ° e Wi "chester picked up the castaways from Mopelia.