British Admiralty to Investigate Cases of Alleged Hardships London, Sept. 15.
A statement issued today by the The senior officer of the Atlantic Fleet.has reported that the. promulgation of the reduced rates of naval pay has led to un-Fest _among a proportion of the lower ratings. Tu consequence of this he has deemed it desirable to suspend the programme "of exercises of the Fleet and recall the ships to harbour, while investigations are being! made. into the representations, of hardship)
occasioned by certain cuts in pay]
marder that' hose may be "reported for consideration to. the Board of Admiralty."
The Atlantic Fleet manoeuvres, which were to begin on September [22 in the North Sea, were to include [demonstrations of the latest method lor. naval warfare, His Majest lbattleeruisers Nelson, Rodney, Blood, Repulse and. Warspite are the Units. of the Fleet, "There is the greatest reticence in oficial quarters. over the affair.
When the Premier, Mr. Ramsay IMacDonald, visited Portsmouth at the week-end to see the Schneider race from the aircraft carrier Courtageous, belonging to. the Atlantic ice, it ig said that he took the 0 portunity of having a talk with the ower Deck regarding. the reduetions. The Premier explained. the financial position of "the country land then asked the men to pass on the information he had' given them to, their ship-mates.
'The men on their part thanke the Premier' for his friendly' talk, IThere was apparently no sign of '"antest" at that time, There were rapid developments today in the situation created by the promulgation of the reduced rates of pay in the Navy.
'A' conference was held' at the Admiralty this "morning between the First Lord of the Admiral Si Ae Admiral' Wilfred Tomkinson, Chief of the Naval Staf (cho is remaining at Invergordon) the First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles" Madden; and other, members of the Admiralty Board.
Rear-Admiral Calvin explained the precise position at Inve statement may be issued late The number of ships involved sixteen, including the Flagship, HLM.S.' Hood (41,000 tons). Also involved are the monster battleships Nelson (83,500 tons) and Rodney (83,900 tons)
Conditions at the Chatham depot are normal, Sailors are allowed their usual leave and. there is no sign of disaffection o¥ trouble everything is normal at Ports. mouth, where leave is also granted as usual, but there is considerable dissatisfaction among the lower ratings.
Newspapers with details of the events at, Invergordon are being read with great eagerness," the news evidently causing considerable surprise in naval circles Reports from Invergordon show that the ratings is in connection with the cut. in separation allowances. An leged result is that an able seaman' wife will get 13/- a week instead of 26/-
The "Evening News" says that protests against the cuts were ma at meetings of sailors at Inver-gordon. The ratings refused duty yesterday after the usual task of leaning ship. Instead of obeying the signal to weigh anchor, they gave three cheers for the King in order to show that there.was nothing disloyal about, their disobedifence, and sat astride the anchor cables to prevent them from being weighed.
Sept, 16, Chamberlain was subjected to a volley of questions from all sections of the House, Mr. Ramsay Mac-Donald, the Prime Minister, was Jdrawn into the discussion, Opposition suggestion to the effect that the men were unable adequately represent. thely pay, he said that hho considered that the authorisation of Parliament would not be necessary for any adjustments which might prove to be desirable.
Mr. A. V. Alexander, First Lord lot the Admiralty in the' late Labour JGovernment, asked the Prime Minister if'any revision would not japply to all the proposed cuts. in ithe " various departments, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald replied that the lecneral rule adopted in dealing with the reductions under the procedure permitted by the National Economy Bill was to leave to each depart-iment, as its own internal concern, the adjustment of the cuts involved ip the "block reduetions™ applied to The Speaker of the House of Commons refused his consent to an JOpposition application for leave to Jadjourn the House to discuss the fandonment of the manquvres of Atlantic Fleet. Further ate tempts by Labour members to keep the _discuesion going were sup-'The Admiralty has issued a long st ment on the situation.—'The statement declares that the allega-ition' made by naval ratings at 1 lvergordon that, in. many cases, the foropoced cuts. in Naval. pay. would amount to-25 per cent. is not justi~ ifed. Various examples are a to illustrate that the cuts on diftere classes amount. to. not. more than 13: per cent, 10 per cent, and per cent. "Similar reductions which are being made in the Army ind Air Forces are emphasized, land it is alto pointed out that auch reductions already apply to all men who entered any of the three. Services since October 1025. 'Theve a in fact already. operative for per ent. of the. men in the Navy find for a larger proportion in the JArmy and Ait Fereee, The state: ment concludes ax follows "The "Admivaity realizes' that men who married' before reaching the lage at which married. allowance payable and'who in consequence have to maintain wife upon the Jemoluments of an unmarried. sailor posed "reductions, and an investiges frill be neviouely affected by the pro-
tion in connection with these cages will proce sd at the earliest possible 'The Admiralty conference lceding the issue of the seatenient ite ton gue bowen Invergordon tothe effect that' the reports current yesterday
ductions as applied to separation low ances would result in a 50 pox ly loss to an able seaman's Wifey who" would "receive 19/-r., &. week instead of 26, were due 4 a isanderstanding' as tothe Inck idence of the various reductions, The 'Admiralty informa Reuter: that po. direct "alterations inthe. pro-nosed xeductions. will be' made, bub that, slight. incidental "readjust ments' may be mecescary, 'The Invergordon correspondent, the 'London Scar Catee tenn HAS Rodney, eke age 33,900 ton baileshipr declined man the piketGeates ceting, however," Vetween' siteers and. en ie reporied as oxanely Siti rede. Seat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.