WARTIME SECRET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19500, 8 June 1925, Page 10

WARTIME SECRET.

SEQUEL TO ITALIAN NAVAL DISASTER The sinking of the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci at Taranto on August 3, 1916, when several hundred sailors lost their lives, has recently been the subject of ; important relevations, says the Romo correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Signer Tanzini. who organised and directed an ” Official burglary” at the Austrian ConRii'hto in Zurich, has for the first time revealed the contents of the documents found in the Consulate, which in the same month led to the arrest of Captain Santoro, one of the principal instigators in Rome of the Taranto disaster ■ It appears from these documents that ether first-rate Italian ohips, including the Conte Cavour and the Ginlio Cesare. the greater part of the depots of Genoa, the Houses of Parliament in Rome, and the building of the Hank of Italy, were to have been blown up by the same gang. But, thanks to the burglary carried out in the Austrian Consulate by 'four Italian officials, news of the conspiracy was obtained in f t>me. and further disasters were avoided. The Austrians had received on the very day preceding the burglary a despatch from Captain Santoro,, who was at Rome, announcing the sinking of the Leonardo da Vinci, and hinting at the pavment to which he believed himself to bo entitled. Signor Tanzini hastened across the frontier and informed the Italian naval authorities, and Santoro was immediately arrested.