300 MISSING

Grey River Argus, 6 September 1939, Page 7

300 MISSING

“Athenians” Passengers WORD FROM RESCUE YACHT. (Received September 5, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 4. A wireless message to the United Press of America from the yacht “Southern Cross” (which was one of the vessels that went to the rescue of the liner “Athenia,”) states that three hundred of the “Athenia’s” passengers are missing. “Athenia’s” Survivors REPORT SUBMARINE WAS SIGHTED. (Received September 5 Midnight) NEW YORK, September 5. The Associated Press of America correspondent at Greenock (Scotland) says that two of the Athenia rescue ships have arrived there. Many of the' injured passengers were taken to hospital. A seaman survivor stated that the Athenia was torpedoed without warning. He added: “After the explosion the submarine came to the surface hundreds of yards off at 5.50 a.m.

ANOTHER VERSION. (Received September 5, 11.59 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 5., Another' survivor told the Associated Press of America: “We put on our lifebelts and went to the boat stations. The submarine then dived out of sight several times during the night. He heard it passing below the lifeboats at five minutes past six m the morning. CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS. NEW YORK, September 4. 'Die London representative of the Associated Press of America says: In response to the Germsffi denial of responsibility, the Ministry of Information has announced that there were no mines where the Athenia was sunk. The German Foreign Office has informed the United States Charge D’Affaires that the report of the torpedoing of the Athenia is untrue, because the navy was ordered to abide by the* international regulations for the conduct of warfare; also, there were no German war-craft in the area.

GERMAN PASSENGERS. LONDON, September 4. Thirty-four German nationals were aboard the Athenia. It is understood that 75 per cent, of all the passengers were women and children. Company officials insist that 300 Americans from Glasgow were aboard. BRITAIN’S HORROR. , LONDON, September 4. Mr. A. Y. Alexander in the House of Commons, expressed the horror, disgust and indignation of all sections of the population at the unpardonable outrage against the mercantile marine. Lord Stanhope, in the Lords, said that, in abrogating the Anglo-German Naval Treaty, Germany quite definitely left the part of the treaty relating to submarines untouched. Her obligations had not been rescinded. The War Cabinet dealt with the matter with the utmost promptitude. Lord Stanhope added that the Athenia was unarmed, with no possible means of defending herself. The excuse made in the case of the Lusitania, that she was carrying rifle ammunition in the hold, could not be made oh this occasion.

DETAILS OF LINER. For 16 years the Athenia has been on the Glasgow-Canadian ports run. She was specially buiit ror that passenger service. She was a Cunader, operated in conjunction with her owners, the Donaldson Atlantic Line. This company was known as the AnchorDonaldson line when the Athenia was launched from the Govan (Glasgow; works of the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Compay, Ltd., on January 29, 1922. Of the “shelter deck” type, the Athenia was 526 feet long, 66 feet wide, and 38 feet deep. When launched she had accommodation on the bridge and shelter decks amidships for 516 cabin passengers. The Athenia was fitted for oil fuel. She carried modern equipment, including wireless direction finder, echo-sound-ing device, and gyro compass. A twin-screw steamer, the Athenia had a speed of 15 1 knots.

U Boat Campaign U.S? CONVOY PROPOSAL. WASHINGTON, September 4. Mr Hull, and the Acting-Secretary of the Navy, Mr Edison, conferred with Mr Roosevelt, regarding the possibility of providing naval vessels to convoy American liners bringing Americans from Europe. It' is announced that a decision was not reached. Marine Insurance Rates LOWER IN BRITAIN THAN IN GREAT WAR. (Received September 5, 9 p.m.) LONDON, September 5. The new Department of the Board of Trade operating for the first time since the Great War, publishes a fresn list of minimum war risk rates for oversea cargoes, these terms applying to the vessels sailing on or after 11 a.m. yesterday. They are: — United Kingdom to Australasia via Panama: —Outwards 40s per cent; homewards 50s per cent. United Kingdom to Australasia, via the Cape:—Outwards 50s per cent: homewards 60s per cent. It is noteworthy that on August 5. 1914, the figure for vessels bound homewards was 105 s per cent. The reduced rate is now attributable to there being greater naval strength to-day.

PASSENGERS FIRED ON. (Received September 6, 1.17 a.m.) NEW YORK, September 5. The Associated Press of America correspondent at Greenock, says that an “Athenia” survivor declared that the submarine fired two shells as the passengers were being taken to the lifebats at 6.20 a.m,