Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9247, 14 January 1916, Page 6

Several rumours relative to incidents connected with the hospital ship Maheno.are in circulation (states the "Otago Daily Times"). One.is that on various occasions officers in high command at' the Dardanelles went out to the ship and were entertained on board, and that; by. some means this fact became known to the Turks, who at once notified the captain of the ship that if jch visits were to be allowed they would fir© on the vessel—that they would respect the Maheno as a hospital ship, but would sink her if f-he was to be a. restaurant! - Another story is that during one bombardment by the grey birds, as the warships are called at Gallipoli, the bombarders came in too close behind the Maheno, which was promptly signalled to by the Turks to clear out, or they would not be responsible for the consequences. bome people, also, are asking why the hospital sh-p, which all observers state did invaluable work in carrying the wounded from Ansae, was allowed to come badr to New Zealand with soldiers who could, no doubt, have been brought over by other vessels, and that if it was absolutely necessary to refit her, t-hy this could not have been done at a tjort nearer to Gallipoli? It is said ir this connect-'on that when the doctors on board the Maheno saw the visiblo traces'of strain and overwork on the faces of the doctor* attached to the fiehtin? forces, tho tnonght appealed tthem that it would have been a firstclass idea had some of these doctors -jeen transferred to the hospital snip. and their places taken by the staff on 'be Maheno'. A reason given for the return of the Maheno is that there was considerable friction between the seafaring staff and the medical staff, and that when the vessel was in England a definite.: pronouncement was obtained from the Admiralty as to where authority actually rested. ■*