REASONS FOR THE SINKINGS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 49, 26 February 1917, Page 7

REASONS FOR THE SINKINGS

VESSELS WERE IN ENGLISH WATERS

(Received February 26, 10.15 a.m.)

i . LONDON, 25th February. An officer belonging to one of the seven Dutch vessels, interviewed afc Paddington, said: "We had picked up about the western approach of the Channel the crew of a Norwegian steamer, when a submarine appeared. Apparently only one of our ships noticed her, and stopped; tlie others proceeded. The submarine then fired an aerial torpedo, which nearly hit us. Afterwards gunshots were fired overhead until we all stopped. The submarine came to each ship, saying that we must take to the boats within, five minutes, as he was going to sink us because we were in English waters. We had hardly time to leave the ships before the submarine commenced its work. All the crews were picked up after several hours by trawlers an-i landed." AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPLANATION (reuters telegbam.) , (Received February 26, 11.10 a.m.) THE HAGUE, 25th February. The German Legation, in an extraordinary explanation of the torpedoing of the steamers, says: The date of the safe homecoming of the Dutch vessels was originally fixed for sth February, postponed to the 9th, and then to the 11th, in view of the situation in Holland. Finally the Dutch shipowners informed the Legation that their vessels would leave in a group on 22nd February -or 17th March. . ■ TO PREVENT A WRONG IMPRESSION ' (Received February 26, 9.30 a.m.) THE HAGUE, 25tA February. The German Legation, in order to prevent wrong impressions, points out^ that the torpedoed vessels were previously aware that they could only depend on relative safety—namely, the safety dependent on fortunate or incidental circumstances. Ships were lost owing to a combination of mischance and circumstances over which the Germans had no control. ANOTHER BROKEN PROMISE (lIEUTER'S' TELEGBAM.) THE HAGUE, 24th February. Official.—When unrestricted submarining was proclaimed the Dutch Government protested, and urged Germany to take care that no Dutch vessels en route to and from Dutch ports should fall victims. Germany replied that she was ready to comply, but that it was impossible to guarantee absolute safety. , ' '■. . The sunken vessels, availing themselves of the German offer, left port together on 22nd February, and all were torpedoed without their papers being •attained. * THE LATEST SINKINGS LONDON, 24th February. The latest sinkings reported are the British steamers Trojan Prince (3196 ton's), Grenadier (1004 tons), Watfield (3012 tons), Belgier (4588 tons), and the barque Invercaull (1416 tons). ' ■ (Received February 26, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 25th February. The British steamers Lonchirst (3053 tons) and Beneficent (1963 tons) have been sunk. The captain and six of the crew of the torpedoed steamer Grenadier were killed. ■ VESSELS WITH AMERICANS ABOARD WARNED (better's telegram.) (Received February 26 s, 10 a.m.) ' .. WASHINGTON, 25th February. have reported the sinking ot.two more Norwegian vessels.the Skrim and Blenheim, with Americans aboard. The crews were warned and ' EaVcd. A DECOY FOR STEAMERS (AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received February 26, 8.30 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, 25th February. A Dutch trawler in the North Sea noticed wliat was supposed to be a German waterplane. On investigation, it proved to be a sham, with a dummy aviator aboard. Presumably this is a new trick to attract vesse> Ai German submarine has been lurking in the vicinity.