NAVAL LOSSES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9961, 3 May 1918, Page 5

NAVAL LOSSES

TWO WAR VESSELS.-SUNK NINETEEN OFFICERS AND MEN MISSING. By TelecrapU—Preaa Association—'Copyright Avsi and ,N;Zj Cable, Assn., and. Reuttr, ■ (Received-May-2; 7 p.m.) LONDON, May T. . Thq Admiralty', reports, that tha sloop Cowslip was, torpedoed and sunk "on April 2oth.„, Five officers and one man are juicing... It,ls presumed they were killed- hy the--explosion. Torpedo-boat No. 90 foundered in heavy weather on April 25th. One officer and twelve men axe missing. ■ .- •i;;i FOOBiPWTS-BILL • - A DRASTIC MEASURE; iii Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrlßlu Australian and 1\ Z. Cable Association. LONDON, May 1. The House of Commons has passed the Food Frolits Bill, imposing as a penalty the forfeiture of double the amount of any illegal profit. Mr Hewitt, explained that tins would be in addition, to existing penalties. Whatever other penalty might bo inflicted at the magistrate’s discretion, the defendant must forfeit twice the illegal profit. Ministers refused the request of several members that 1 forfeiture should also be at the magistrate’s discretion, and asserted that tho clause was the very essence of tho bill. PARCELS FOR PRISONERS DISPATCH TEMPORARILY STOPPED. By, Taleffrapb—i'rcfia AgsodnUon— I . Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, May 1. , In tho Houuse of Lords, Lord New,ton, Assistant Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in explaining the cessation of tho dispatch of parcels to prisoners of war in Germany, stated that this war partly duo to tho accumulation of parcels, but the dispatch would shortly bo resumed. Tho Earl of Sandwich stated that lack of shipping was another cause. The British organisation for the supply of parcels was now sending food in a more concentrated form, and increasing the supply of bread and biscuits from Holland. ■ ESCAPED BRITISH PRISONERS SEVENTEEN ARRIVE IN LONDON. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copvrlqbi Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, May 1. Seventeen British prisoners who have escaped from Germany have arrived in London. A THRILLING ADVENTURE OF TWO AUSTRALIAN WAR PRISONERS. , By TaJcgrnph'—Prcsa Association— Australian, and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, May 1. Two Australians, captured on April 4th, ha-vo mado ■ a sensational escape. While captives they were engaged in. burying German dead. They helped to inter'‘tlidusan'dsj and wore surprised nffi'thbfficaViacss of "the enemy losses. ' While Imprisoned in an old British compound a shell broke the wire. They bolted, and during eight days traversed tho whole of tho Gorman lines, ’hiding in tho daytime. When chalIffijgtW they ran and dodged tho rifle shots.' i ' . - Approaching tho. front lines they came under the British barrage. They crossed the enemy ‘ trenches full of Bodies and rushed into No Sian’s Land, where they ran the gauntlet of tho fire of both sides. Approaching tho Australian lines they pretended they wore Germans surrendering,, but. they were treated as spies till they established their identity.

INDIAN RECRUITING By Telegraph— Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z fable Association . CALCUTTA, May 1. During last yoiu*. 445*000 recruits joined the Indian Army. S.B. 'WAIHEMO SUNS THE CREW SAVED. Uy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z Cable Association. . LONDON, May 1. _ News has been received that the Union Company’s steamer Waihemo,' 4283 "tons, " l,as been sunk in the Mediterranean. the crew was saved. OFFICERS FROM THE WIAIHEMO. RETURNING SHORTLY TO NEW ZEALAND. Press Association. DUNEDIN, May 2. The Waihemo was formerly known as tho Canada Cape. When tho vessel "Wats'‘taken" over by the Imperial authorities, tho deck hands, firemen, and trimmers were replaced by others in England, bub the officers, engineers, and stewards were all New Zealanders. The Union Company has received advice that the majority of these are en route to New Zealand. The officers are: Captain J. Thomson; chief officer, Mr D. Maopherson; second officer, Mr 0. Atkinson; third officer, i Mr McKelsey ; chief engineer, Mr M. McNeil; second engineer, Mr J. ; third engineer, Mr W. Ferguson; fourth engineer, Mr W. Lax. . AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING A RECORD TONNAGE IN APRIL. By Telegraph—Press AssoMaUnn—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cabin Association. WASHINGTON, May I. Mr F. Hurley (Chairman of the Federal Shipping Board) announces that ship uonstruction in April totalled 240,000 deadweight tons, an increase of 60,000 tons over the best record of any one month previously. U.S. A. AND JHER ARMY PRAISE FROM GENERAL. POOH. v Telegraph — Press Aseoeiation — Copyright Australian and N.Z Cable Association. WASHINGTON, May 1. A resolution has been introduced in tho Senate providing for an army of a total strength of 5,000,000 men. It has been •■cferred' to the Military Affairs Cmmittee. NEIW YORK; May 1. General Foch has cabled to Mr Strong, Governor of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, praising the valour of tho American soldiers. Ho urged support of the Liberty Loan. , MESOPOTAMIA 1800 TURKS AND MANY GUNS CAPTURED. By Telegraph—Pres* Association—Copyrlgtol Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, LONDON, May 1. The British are within 120 miles of and have captured tw'olve hundred Turks and many guns. (Received May 2, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 1. A Mesopotamian official message states: Wo reached Tauma river on Tuesday and captured twelve more ma-chine-guns. Our prisoners now total 1800. • AN IRRIGATION SCHEME. ’ N.Z Cable AMocJatlon. (Received May 2, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 2. Mr Edmund Candler, tho “Daily Mail’s” correspondent, writing from Mesopotamia immediately after tho capture of Baghdad, stales: We began to tap tho resources of the Euphrates and carried out an irrigation scheme during the summer. Fourteen thousand 1 Arabs assisted in digging out nearly 100 canals which had fallen into disuse. _Wo thereby brought 300,000 acres into cultivation. There is a promise of possibly the greatest harvest since the days of Nebuchadnezzar. Arab cultivators welcome tho new regime, which is making tho land- rich and profitable.