VESSEL TORPEDOED WITHOUT WARNING

Nelson Evening Mail, 9 November 1916, Page 5

VESSEL TORPEDOED WITHOUT WARNING

PASSENGER'S SAVED. .

TWO ENGINEERS KILLED.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.)

(Rec. Nov. 9, 11.20 a.m.) . LONDON, Nov. 8.

The Admiralty states that the Arabia was torpedoed and sunk without warning in the Mediterranean at noon on Mondav. The passengers numbered 437, of whom I£9 were women and children. Thev were picked up by various vessels diverted to the scene of the disaster. Two engineers are missing. It is believed that thev have been killed by the explosion. The rest of the crew were saved.

BRITAIN'S MERCHANT FLEET

During an address to workman on the Clyde Mr Balfour. First Lord of the Admiralty, stated some interesting facts with reference to the British mercantile marine and the measures taken to fight the German submarine menace. He said —lt was not merely fighting ships which we had to consider, but also the mercantile marine. It was a fact that while we owned, roughly speaking, about halt the mercantile tonnage of the world. half of that half was now earmarked either for the purposes of war or the supplv of our allies. He thought that 42 per cent of our tonnage was now required for carrying: on our great military operations. The war had not gone lon very loner before it became clear that we should have to come to the assistance of our allies, and some 10 per cent of our tonnage was handed over to them absolutely. Thus more than half our mercantile' tonnage was used either for military purposes by ourselves or by our allies for what were practically military purposes. When the war 'broke out the num'ber of vessels calculated to deal effectively with " the submarine menace could be counted by hundreds, but from the destroyers downwards to the paddle mine sweeper thev could now be counted by thousands. The .justification for the Vast expenditure which the creation of that huge fleet had caused was the protection of our mercanUile marine, and it behoved the Admiraltv and all who were concerned in the shipbuilding trade to remember that it was not less vital to create a thing which had to be protected than to create the naval machinery by which protection was afforded. It was not a question of profit to this or to that individual. The mercantile marine was a vital necessity. Our enemies thought, but he was profoundly persuaded they were wrong, that by their submarine activity they could inflict a deadly 'blow upon England. He never liked to prophesy, but he might express his own be-.

lief that they were mistaken. But if thev were mistaken it was because, and only because, we had produced the vessels bv which the submarine menace cnnld be controlled, and 'because Ave were producing, and should coqtinue to produce, the merchant ships against which, the submarine menace was so ruthlessly directed. "I look forward to the future in this respect," he continued, "without fear.''