COLD-BLOODED BRUTALITY

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 29, 2 February 1917, Page 7

COLD-BLOODED BRUTALITY

SHIP'S CREW ABANDONED TO

THEIR FATE

OUTRIGHT BREACH OF GER' MANY'S PLEDGES.

(ADS. AND H.Z. CABLE ASSN. AND RBUKIt.) LONDOjN, Ist February. The Admiralty reports:—"The British steamship Artist (3570 tons), when 48 miles from land in a heavy easterly gale, was torpedoed by a submarine on 27th January.. In response to the "S.O.S,' call stating that the vessel was sinking . quickly, our auxiliary patrol craft made a search, but found no trace of the yes- v sel or any survivors. The steamship Luchana on Tuesday picked up a boat with sixteen survivors Out of twenty-three, seven had died of wounds arid exposure, and out of the sixteen left five Were severely^frostbitten The crew was compelled to abandon the ship in open boats, in a midwinter gale, utterly without means of reaching land, and without hope of succour Those who perished during those three- days of bitter exposure were murdered> It would be sheer hypocrisy to pretend that anything was done to ensure their safety Germany's pledge to the United States not to sink merchantmen without ensuring the safety of. the passengers and crews has been broken before, but never under circumstances of more cold-blooded brutality,"- . ■.' ' ■■".-.