AMERICA HURRYING ON HER WAS PREPARATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16498, 26 March 1917, Page 5

AMERICA HURRYING ON HER WAS PREPARATIONS.

~ CABINET SAID TO FAVOUR PURELY NAVAL ACTION. .-:'•■■•;■.■■■■■ ■■■■.■:'■,','•.,■■/'■.<■'■ ; ■;:■:.-■ ■ ■■.'■';■■ .-v.;* "..'•■ ■■::■.•■''■;■ ■-.\r-i :■■'■'' ■■:£< '•■:.•■;.-, - '•-."■■. ■'■<-,■ .•-,:■'." #f^' SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF SAILORS' FOR THE FLEET. '''- - ' ' 'Australian and N.Z. Cable. (Received 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON.'March' 23. ' ...■-;■ v; ■_■.--. __" .:.■ -~•■. ..'-?■.-.■■.■ '.'.• .:■■■'■■ ■<;.■:. ---■■,"■..- '. : .■ :•■....■■.. .■■■...■•.,' *. ... -.. ' The number of lives: lost in connection with the torpedoing of::'. . the' Standard Oil Company's steamer Healdton off the-Dutch coast is 21. Twenty members of the crew were drowned, and one was fatally injured. The captain of the Healdton states that two torpedoes were fired at ; the ship within ; the so-called ; safety. zone. A boat containing 20 men, ■ including seven Americans, capsized. All were drowned. The rest of the crew were saved, The only .answer to the sinking of the 'Healdton will be the speeding-up-of preparations for hostilities. Mr. Wilson is convinced that Germany plans forcing the United States to declare war prematurely by continuous outrages. There is little; likelihood, however, II of the United States; doing anything of the kind. ;; ■ -0t: : The shortage of ammunition and rifles is serious. Factories that have been idle" for years, have been refurbished. ■ \ $l : The consensus of opinion in the Cabinet is that the United States ;.vshould not supply military forces for co-operation with the allied j armies in the event of war. Members of the-Cabinet favour authorising the President to ; uso £2000,000,000 to £1,000,000,000, if necessary, in assisting to ) stamp out submarines. •, ■ V# ' -v.. «. Officers : of, the Norwegian steamer Vera/; report that thousands of j Germans arc entering Mexico with the object of waging war against the United States in the event of hostilities between America and ;f, Germany. .' "\ ".''/'.j ;..'.'■/*•-; '!.'■'' :...,.',«,' In view of the serious shortage ..of personnel, the Navy Department has recalled all retired officers for service. - Thousands more , b sailors than are available are required. Cadets at the Annapolis f| Naval Academy are graduating before completing the course. The department is seeking to speed up destroyer construction, but it is y admitted that a year or 15 months will be required before much can ■ be. accomplished.,; / , • ;;.:;. A great patriotic mass meeting in Madison Square Garden, -New York, passed a resolution urging Congrers to declare that a state ~of war with Germany exists The Mayor, Mr. Mitchell, suggested ..sending abroad at least 500,000 men. ■ ■ i