ALL ATHENIA SURVIVORS RESCUED

Northern Advocate, 5 September 1939, Page 5

ALL ATHENIA SURVIVORS RESCUED

Not Sunk By Submarine, But Hit Mine, Germany Says

NO WARNING OF ATTACK, CHURCHILL ASSERTS

V -, (Received 11.80 a.m.) LONDON, September 5. m HE ONLY CASUALTIES ON THE BRITISH LINER ATHENIA, WHICH WAS I TORPEDOED IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC BY A GERMAN SUBMARINE, 4 it is Announced, were those killed by the explosion, all OTHERS WERE SAVED " * News of the sinking of the ship, which carried 311 Americans, deeply shocked the United States,, where the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 was recalled. The German radio promptly denied that the Athenia had been sunk by a German submarine, and asserted that such action would “be against strict orders. 9 It was asserted from Germany that the line r had struck a mine. .... r-v-ln reply to the German denials of responsibility, the Ministry of Information announced that there were no mines where the Athenia sank The statement charged Germany “with direct contravention of the rules of warfare in sinking the Athenia. The First Lord of the Admiralty, M r 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 aux iliary* He hoped the convoy system would he soon in operation. ’ iJPhBlK**-” The fortunate escape of the survivor s does not alter the fact that open boats, 200 miles from land, cannot be regarded as legal objects of attack, added Mr. Churchill. The British War Office announces t hat a large fleet of planes flew over Germany on a reconnaissance flight, dropping 6,000,000 leaflets. Berlin admits that the leaflets were dropped successfully. The planes were not interfered with. *