SUNKEN SHIP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20034, 5 September 1939, Page 5

SUNKEN SHIP

TORPEDO VICTIM ATHENIA’S FATE FATALITIES IN EXPLOSION RESCUE OP SURVIVORS OUTRAGE CONDEMNED RULES OF SEA WARFARE (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United I’ress Assn.) (ReccL Sept. 5, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 4. The Ministry of Information has officially announced the torpedoing of the British liner Athenia off the Northern Irish coast. Nearly all the passengers were Americans. The liner is reported to be sinking. The Athenia left Liverpool on Saturday for Montreal. She carried 1400 passengers and crew and 1000 tons of cargo. She carried lifeboats sufficient for 1830 persons. The Belfast correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that the agent for the Athenia’s owners in Belfast to-day announced that all aboard the vessel were saved, except some who were killed toy the torpedo. The survivors were picked up by other vessels. It is officially stated that there were 24G Americans aboard the Athenia, which made a special trip to Liverpool to pick up 101. Most of the, passengers were tourists. The American Embassy in London stated that 14 Americans went aboard the Athenia in London, 104 embarked at Liverpool, 145 at Glasgow, and OS at Belfast. The Athenia’s master. Captain James Cook, wirelessed that the ship was torpedoed 250 miles west of Inishtrahull Island, oil the Nortnern Irish coast. The passengers and crew, except those killed toy the torpedo explosion, took to the boats and were picked up 'by various ships. A Copenhagen message says it is reported that- the Norwegian ship Knud Nelson picked up 800 survivors from the Athenia, and the Swedish yacht Southern Cross picked up 200. The Athenia was recently reconditioned on an extensive 'scale, involving the entire reconstruction of the passenger quarters. It is officially announced that the Athenia was torpedoed without warning in direct contravention of the rules of warfare to which Germany is bound, and which provide that merchantmen must not be sunk without warning and until the safety of the passengers and crew is assured. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Winston Churchill, announced in the House of Commons that reports indicated that the Athenia was torpedoed without warning. The Athenia was in no way an auxiliary. It was hoped a convoy system could soon be operated. “The fortunate escape of the survivors does not alter the fact that open boats 200 miles from land cannot be regarded as legal objects of attack,” he declared, A Ministry of Information statement charged Germany with “direct contravention of the rules of warfare in the sinking of the Athenia.” '