ON THE SEAS.

Mataura Ensign, 12 January 1916, Page 4

ON THE SEAS.

AUSTFUA'S COOL REQUEST. BRITAIN'S ETRM REPLY. Received danuarv 12. 5.15 a.m. r.'ONDOiX, -lan. 11. Replying to an Austrian Note stating that Austria would hold the British (im-rrrnneiK' re-ponsiblo for the safety of Aii'stru-llungarian subjects: being repatriated from India, Sir Exhvard; Croy i Koreig!) .Minister) says, "1 am astonished, at the request. The Austrians themselves are one of the authors of the submarine danger. It. is the Au»-tro-4iermans thontselvC'S' who carry on this novel and inhuman lorn: .of warfare which disregards all the hitherto accepted principles of international law. By asking lor special precaution, to be taken to protect her own subjects Austria- admits that t'lie

•inking of tlio Ltisiiania Mini the Persia was part of a seitled and premeditated ■]>i)licy. Great- liritain does not propose to lake special, precautions in the present ease."

BRITISH MOSQUITO 'SQUADRON. REiADY AT TWO MLXTTKS' NOTICE THIv "SAITV .VRETIirSA.-' Received .Januarv V.?. S.l."> a.m. LONT>O.X. Jan. 11. At- the Admiralty's invitation a representative of the Australian Press Association visited an important ba>e ■from whence a mosquito .-uuadron is in readiness at two minutes' notice to dart out. The correspondent states, "Taruet practice a lid training continue as in peace time and war <:ames with miniature torpedoes. I saw trawlers, niilielayers and mine-sweepers with liicir aitendant depot ships and aeroplane vessels and other novel auxiliaries 1 erinsentiug the laie-r developments' in naval science. The squadron includes a. dumber of tlie laio-t and speediestdestroyers afloat with flotilla leaders capable of on tsf Honing any enemy de•.•iroyors, ami li»ht cruisers, whereof I inspected the A rethu.-a. She is as satny as' when she was completed. 'She left the dock, went out to sea, fought an action on August Li ; °. and was back in dock aoain in less than live days. The A ret husa is proud of her wounds'. All the holes have been plastered with iron plale>-. The visit afforded the haippiest evidence of the readiness of the fleet- to strafe any enemy vessels that venture into the open."

The Areihusa has won distinct : on in several engagement;-; since the. outbreak of flic war. .sTTe is, a light cruiser _of between -1000 ami ijCM ions, carrying (!in "tins. She wa<s only commissioned a low days before the war as an emergency ship, and the officers and crow did not know each- other. She wont imo actio:! practically at once, taking a loading par! \v. the jleiigela'id fight on August when she ax si'ted in sinking the Mainz. 1 for sp.'ed. nominally i>o knots, was re-luce;! |<» 10 Unois. and: many of Iter guns were put /.nt of act inn in the figh't. The AroilH"-a reappeared in oonneotio:! with.the llruish aerial raid on C'u'x haven, being one. of the destroyers protecting the- cruiser convoy. The captain of the Arctlmsa, Commodore R. Y. T.ynvliitt, i>- well known in Xe".v Zealand, having boon .lion* in the Curaeoa. He made himself paKioularlv popular in hunting circles atAtiekland. ' > ■ '

LOSS OF KiNC EDWARD VII. ICXTIRE A]!XF!X(:F; OK PAXTC STOKERS' SPLEXDIT) AYORiK. Received'.'January 12. !).o a.m. I',ONTMKX, .Jan. 11. A sui'vivorof llio King Edward' Vll. statov: "The disaster occurred on Thursday a-r- 11 a.m. The weather wan moderate but- (he wind was high. AI! the water-tight doors wore closed. Tin 4 shook extinguished all the light* and it was. some time before the ether lightswere got. going. 'Nevertheless.-every boat was out "within half an hour.-

Meanwhile a collier camp up and began to vow the battleship. An hour later four dce'trovers responded' to our wireless appeals and took us in tow, hut Jioavv seas sprang up, rendering towing difficult., and dangerous. Eirst <»ne. hawser and then another parted! until all were- 'gone The captain, at. .'{ o'clock, seeing that it- was hopeless. to save tne-ship, ordered every ■man to i-.avo hini'self. At the some time- the destroyers were ordered to stand along-. ' ainugside. The stokers remained at their dosi.s until the last, kccgiiiipr the dviia-nios going. All were got off safely- at i) o'clock. The captain left the bridge at 7.:i0 and I<> minutes, latter the battleship disappeared. There wasi an entire absence of j»:iiiic, theofficers , selling a splendid example." The King' Edward VIF.. mined and sunk without low of life, is the biggest British battlctship yot lost, if we leave out of count the doubtful ease of the Audacious. Of the British battleships lost, none was launched later than 1902 (except the. Triumph, a much. lighter shin), and none was above Iij.OOO tons. The King Edward VII. and her seven sisters are e.ieh of 16.350 tons. THE BARALONC INCIDENT, SrraiARTXE'S COWARDLY CREW. Received Januarv 12. 0..") a.m. LOXnOX, Jan. 11. A [runner of the Baralong states, "We "received the Xi'eosian'■> wireless, message on August 19 and went at full speed, to her assistance. An hour later we riabtod the .Xicosian, -which was- being shelled by a submarine while ■the crew w»s petting into the lifeboats. 'We. had plenty of ammunition. ready on the poOn. The marines took shelter behind the bulwarks. The captain, by excellent seamanship, brought ihe vessel to r-f.arbo:'rd of the Xicosian so that, we were hidden fro-m the submarine'.s view for a -few moments, dur-. ing which we cleared for.action, trained the guns outboard and hoisted the white ensign. When we appeared! around the Xieosian's' bows- the submarine fired a shot. The marines replied with a volley which swept the decks /lf'the submarine which seemed demoralised and the crew immediately left the guns and rushed to the con-* ning-tow'er, several going overboard.. We.-fired the_por.t- and sterjji hit ? the i-.ubmarine ~beneath the water--. line, the .second shot at. the conningtower s-endinir two men flying high in the air. The submarine gradually sank, everyone of the crew.being either drowned or shot. Only a few oarts of bodies and a large quantity of oil remained on the surface. During the last -{A minutes we fired 37 rounds" The .submarine was one of Germany's latest and largo'!:, being ,'?{}fjft lonjr and of 100') tons, having two guns fore and aft of a slightly larger ''alihre't-han ih.o Bara'.ongs. We were disgusted at the cowardice of . the crew. Apart from the heavier gnus there, were several torpedo tubes- on the submarine. Those en board her were ready enough to kill and maim-defenceless, merchant vessels' passengers, but she-had no. stomach for fighting armed >ships even when the odds wovo in her favor. We rescued 107 of the rrew of the Xicosian. nine being injured or killed. Our casualties were nil."

The Press Hurcau recently issued the Memorandum of the Genium Governmen'i regarding .'lie alleged inr-i dents in connection with the destruction of a Gennnn submarine by tlio auxiliary cruiser R-aralong on August 10, and" Sir Edward Grey's reply' thereto. The German document aliened that 'ilia • /'reamer Xiccsian \v;i« 5 topped hv a iGer. man submarine, which fired 'on the Nicosia 11 after the crov,- had left; A steamer was seen approaching, ftving. Tiie American Hair, while the submarine was firing at the Xicoslan. Th" stranger, which proved to he the Baraloncr, .-■uddenly opened fire with hitherto hidden arrns.. The r-übmarine begair To .sink, and. her crew jumped overboard. Several who were ■clinginsr- to the mnes' oft lie Nicosia n Avere killed by tlie gunfire of the Baralong ;IM d partly bv 'tlio. rifle fire of the Ilaraloii'j.'s cro'w. ." * The Baralong is a steamer of-4192 tons gross register, owned by the EU lernian and Huckn-dl S.S. Company, Ltd.. In August. 1914, she ttrs com-' nuKpioned ;>:, an auxiliary cruiser, her master and officers bein<; sriven ■eom-nii'->ions on. the Royal Naval Reserve. She. is commanded by LieiiteiianV George Swinny, R.X. R. The Xieosian is a steamer of 0369 tons gross register, owned hv- Messrs. V. Ley land, and Co., Ltd., el' "l u'verpool and er>miiuu>ded .by ('-.iurain C. .1. H. Manning. Several' of Messrs I eylainl and (•■>.'-• .-Uv.meis, i!n-hulin<Y the Armeniao'anJ Iberian, have been sunk by German "submarines.