GERMANY’S LATEST CRIME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10113, 22 October 1917, Page 5

GERMANY’S LATEST CRIME.

TWELVE DEFENCELESS NEUTRAL MERCHANTMEN SUNK. FXTTLTANT german press asks WHERE IS BRITISH FLEET? Australian-New Zealand Cable Association, Tho Admiral commanding at Christiania rcnorts that the convoy survivors li:nc reached Bergen They state that a. convoy consisting of twelve merchantmen, escorted In- two British destroyers, was attache! o Wednesday morning by two lar - c , Go 1™" warships. The latter ordered the convoy to stop, and started firing immediate K, quickly sinking tho destroyers., which wort inferior in both size and equipment. The merchantmen were then sunk scnatum. The afliur lasted an hour. The merchantmen launched some lifeboats, but the boats filled in. the heavy sea. After a 1 the vessels von' sunk, the enemy departed. Ihe survivors saved several men from the wreckage, and reached Norway after two days snliering in the open sea. . It is reported that seventeen survivors ol (lie British destroyers have reached Norway. Eighty-five sailors of the convoy perished. Tho captain of the Norwegian stoanior b-irs-tino is tho sole survivor of his ship. 110 states that ins crew took to the boats, hut ftp Germans continued firing, and a shell hit one boat and killed nine of the crew, who, in despair, returned to the steamer and signalled “stop firing” rcsultlessly. The German press sounds a chorus of exulting praise, seeing in this and the Oesel operations proof of a bold, offensive spirit on the part of tho German fleet.. The Cologne Gazette publishes and article headed : “Where is tho British Fleet ?” Two officers and eight men landed at Bergen will not bo interned, as thev wore rescued by a Norwegian lifeboat after the destroyer'was sunk. Further reports state that the British destrovers fought gallantly, but wore sunk in half an hour, the men bravelv sticking to their guns to the last, Tcrrib ,n scenes were enacted on the docks of the defenceless merchantmen. Many sailors were killed. Tho weather is cairn, and it is hoped further survivors will be found. THE NEW SUBMARINE WARFARE Amtr»l!«n-Now r /p«'—d G"W« Aviation WASHINGTON, Oct. 20. Confidential reports show that big submarines are tra ,r elling in pairs off the usual tracks robbing food ships, taking cargoes aboard and sinking tho vessels. The United States Board of Trade is, eonsequentlv. reluctant to permit the sending of cargoes to neutrals.