NAZIS AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 109, 1 February 1940, Page 9

NAZIS AT SEA

Use Of Frightfulness

TOLL OF NEUTRALS

Indignation In Denmark Uy Telegraph. -Press Assn.—Copyright, (Received January 31. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, January 10. The Danish steamer Frcdensborg (2094 tons) was mined off the Scottish coast, 20 of the crew being lost, states a report from Copenhagen. The “Daily Telegraph's” Copenhagen correspondent says that a new wave of hut ror and indignation has swept. Dem.-.ark as a result of rhe sinking of the steamers England and Frcdensborg. The Frcdensborg is stated to have been torpedoed when she attempted to rescue the crew of the England. A high official said: “The Germans are doing their utmost to ensure that there are no witnesses to survive their brutality.” [lt was reported that the England (2707 tons) was torpedoed by a U-boat, which left only one survivor.) . A British Official Wireless message comments: In addition to (hose neutral ships already reported, namely, the England, the Norwegian ship Faro (S 4-1 tons), and the Norwegian ship Ilosanger (1591 tons), which were sunk by a submarine without warning and in conditions which gave the crews virtually no chance of surviving, two other neutral victims of warningless submarine attack within the same period of the past few, days are recorded.

In all cases the sailors who survived suffered the most acute hardships and an exceptionally large proportion perished through injuries, drownings, or exposure in terribly severe cold. As yesterday’s unusually extended offensive from the air again, showed, submarine attack without warning is not the only form of Germany’s frightfulness at sea with which neutrals as well as British ships have to reckon. In the systematic bombings and machine-gunnings from the air even lightships are not spared. “Index Of Evil Spirit.” "Tire Times” says: “These barbarities, revolting as they are to all who are swayed by conscience, by religion, or by any sense of human obligations, are but an index of the evil spirit that is in the ascendant in Germany today. It was that spirit which prompted the rape successively of Austria, of Czechoslovakia, and of Poland. , “Growing as it was given rein, that same spirit dictated brutal attacks not only with bombs upon Polish cities but even with machine-guns upon helpless refugees fleeing from the ruin of their homes. Still unbridled, it leads to the pitiless tortures by which the Gestapo seeks to break the spirit of its J’ewish, Czech, and Polish victims. “Its exponents, knowing no other method, think to subjugate the world in the same way, and since they have realized that the struggle against this country must be carried on al. sea, it is at sea that once more they reveal to the world the devil with which they are possessed. “The Nazi at sea has shown what the Nazi really is. and nothing could more clearly demonstrate the necessity, if the world is to be a place fit for decent people for unswerving perserverance until the evil thing is mastered.”

WEEK’S LOSSES

Safety Of Convoys (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 30. During the week which ended at midnight on January 28, -sixteen merchant ships have been dost by enemy action. These comprised one British, two French, and 13 neutral vessels. A survey of the working of the convoy system up to January 2-1 shows that 738 S Allied and neutral ships have been escorted by British convoys. Of these, 15 have been lost under convoy, being .2 per Cent, of Lite total, contrasting with the German RearAdmiral Doeuitz's statement that neutral ships conveyed by the British would lose "the special consideration which the U-boat commanders show toward neutral shipping.”

Tlie only British ship sunk last week was the Baltinglia (1523 tons). The two Drench losses during the week were the Tourny (2769 tons) and the Alsacien (3819 tons). Thirteen neutral losses included three sunk in the previous week, but ■ only since notified, namely the Swedish ship Boxen (130-1 tons), the Swedish ship I’at.ia (1185 tons), and the Danish tanker Danmark (10,517 tons). Other neutral sinkings were the Gothia (Swedish), 1640 tons; the Songa (Norwegian), 2589 tons; the Onto (Finnish), 1333 tons; the Sydfold (Norwegian), 2-134 tons; the Pluto (Norwegian), 1598 tons; the Biarritz (Norwegian). 1752 tons: the Everene (Latvian), 443-4 tons;, tlie Gudveig (Norwegian), 1300 tons, Hie Hosanger (Norwegian), 1591 tons, and the England (Danish), 2319 tons. STEAMER FEARED LOST

LONDON, January 30. It is feared that the steamer Eston (457 tons) has been lost in tlie North Sea. Eighteen members of the crew are missing. MARKED ACTIVITY BY PATROLS Western Front Again Freezing (Received January 31. 9.26 p.m 1 LONDON, January 31. The latest Erench communique states that contact units west of the Saar were markedly active and artillery was busy during most of yesterday. The l haw on the Western ITonl lia< slopped anil file entire battle zone is -1- ‘,llll freezing. Ground conditions ate so bad Hint, the area would lie isolated if the trains were forced to stop run ning. Heavy falls of snow on Hie Western l-’roul have pul a slop to iufantrv movement. Im! there was artillery lire l.v ITeneli aims |o break ap Germ-in working parlies or parties I.ringing up rations Io the front line. The Germans retiirued (lie tire. —By radio.