By W. Earnest Lee
Lord Palmerston sets-up Investigation into 'The Herald' Affair
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| 1st & 2nd West Indies Regiments have been put on alert and will man commercial vessels travelling between the islands. |
Following revelations published in The Times yesterday, syndicated from the 'The Banner of the South', official organ of the Confederate States of America, Prime Minister William, Lord Palmerston has ordered a high level investigation into the main points of the affair.
The main thrust of the allegations being that a United States warship, The 'USS Quaker City', attacked and sunk a British vessel, named as 'The Herald', within British Territorial waters in the Caribbean. The British vessel was identified as the steamship 'The Herald' and its sinking resulted in the deaths of all the crew, except for two survivors.
Confederate States officials informed 'Fraser, Trenholm and Company' who operate from Liverpool and New York, USA and urged them to call on Her Majesty's Government to act against 'a blatant deed of evil and transgression contrary to international conventions'.
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| Canadian Militia put on Alert |
Since the first publication of this news, the President of the United States of America has cabled the British Government to deny any such action has occurred and blames the newspaper story on disinformation from the notorious Confederate MIS department.
On announcing the investigation, Lord Palmerston added that he hoped to have an initial report within a matter of days, basic facts can be checked and validated. Basis the initial report other investigations may be initiated.
Palmerston finished by saying "These are difficult times, our former colonial friends are now at each other's throats. Desperate men, in desperate situations take desperate measures. The duty of the British Government is to safeguard our national interests and we will take whatever action is necessary to ensure the safety of our people, territories and sovereignty"
Word has been sent to our territories in the Caribbean as well as in Canada to be on alert.
