THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3292, 18 April 1917, Page 17

THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

The Admiralty reports that the arrivals for the week numbered 2406 and the departures 2367. The vessels sunk wore as follow:—Seventeen of over 1600 tons and two of under 1600 tons. .Fourteen vessels were unsuccessfully attacked. Six fishing vessels were sunk. An Italian naval communique shows that during the week five Italian steamers of under 3000 tons and 10 sailing vessels of 300 tons were sunk During March 82 Norwegian ships, totalling 130,927 tons, were lost, while 41 (tonnage 31.658) were added to the fleet, which now consists of 3339 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,437,762. During the war the Germans have sunk 15 American ships and attacked eight unsuccessfully " The . Belgian relief ship Anna Fostenes has been sunk. The Norwegian steamer Camilla, 2456 tons, while employed by the Belgian Relief Committee, was sunk, although she was in possession of a German safe conduct. This is the seventh. Norwegian steamer sunk in similar circumstances. The British steamer Kittiwako, of 1866 tons, was torpedoed off Holland. Seven persons were killed The American freight-carrier Sward was torpedoed in the Mediterranean Sea. No warning was given, but there were no casualties. The American four-masted schooner Marguerite, 1553 tons, was torpedoed in the Mediterranean without warning. The crew were in an open boat 49 hours. The sinking of the schooner Leontine on March 25 was a particularly ferocious act. Tho schooner stopped when hailed, but the submarine fired 40 shells at her, which killed four men and wounded three. Tho Germans boarded her, armed with bombs, and found the boatswain and the cabin boy wounded. They both appealed to the Germans not to blow up tho schooner, because they would die. A German officer shot the boy. Five survivors clung to the wreckage and were saved. A German submarine torpedoed the Greek steamer Nestos, of 4060 tons, built in 1914, which had a cargo of flour. The

crew wero saved. The Government has protested to Germany. Survivors from the torpedoed steamer Pollux, 1036 tons, have arrived at Bergen. They state that numbers of the passengers and crew jumped into the water, and that the submarine's commander threatened to shoot anyone attempting to board her. The Norwegian Government asked Germany for a safe conduct for 1000 "submanned " Norwegian mariners from England Germany replied that she would consent only upon Norway guaranteeing that none of them would re-enter the danger zone

The New York Times learns on high authority that since February 1 Britain has destroyed submarines at an average of one daily. Naval authorities state that the submarines reported in the Pacifio are probably off the Mexican coast. Cuba denies that there are submarines in Cuban waters. Despite the understanding between Japan and the United States to co-operate In the protection of Pacifio shipping, marine insurance rates rose 100 per cent, to Australia. The. expected increase was from cents to Idol per lOOdol. The value of the passenger business is already affected. HOSPITAL SHIPS TORPEDOED. Tho hospital ship Gloucester Castle has been torpedoed and sunk without warning. Tho wounded wore saved. The occurrence took place in mid-Channel on the night of March 30. There were 450 wounded aboard the Gloucester Castle. The doctors and nurses performed magnificent work in saving the wounded. Calmly and methodically they removed tho patients to the upper decks, and thence to tho rescuing boats. There was no semblance of panic, and the best traditions of the Army Medical Service were splendidly maintained. The torpedo struck the ship at 3 o'clock in the morning, and a large number of craft of every description quickly answered the wireless call for help. The patients suffered little from their distressing experience. The crew on deck distinctly saw the submarine, and agree that no warning was given. Many of the engine-room staff were badly scalded. The Gloucester Castle was a Union Castle Mail Company's liner of 7999 tons. She was built in 1911 at tho Fairfield Company's yards in Glasgow. The hospital ship Salta was mined and sunk during bad weather in the Channel on the 10th hist. There were no wounded aboard; but five medicals, nine nursing sisters, and 38 R.A.M.C. of the ship's personnel are missing. The Sajta, which was outward bound for France, was aoquired by the Admiralty from a French shipping company after the declaration of war. She was of 7284 tons, and was built on the Seino in 1911. A Berlin official message of tho 11th inst. proclaims the vessels submarined, thus removing all doubt in the matter*. AMERICAN LINER MINED. The liner New York (1798 tons) struck a mine in the Irish Sea. There were no casualties. The vessel is being docked. The liner struck the mine during a blizzard The work of rescuing the 60 passengers on board was attended by great difficulties, huge seas washing over the vessel. ' The launching of the boats' was perilous work, but Captain Roberts's orders were carried out with military precision, and everyone safely reached tho boats from the liner's lower deck. The New York was armed fore and aft, and carried naval gunners. The passengers had just finished dinner, when there was a terrific explosion on the port side. Everyono rushed out of the saloon, and lined up for the boats. There was some excitement, especially among the women, but it was soon calmed by the officers. The passengers were half an hour in tho boats before the rescue vossejs arrived. The British Admiralty reports thai a patrol vessel struck a mine and sank in the English Channel. Two officers and 14 men are missing. HINDENBURG INTERVIEWED. Marshal von Hindenburg, interviewed at Berlin by the correspondent of the Spanish newspaper Vanguardia, said that in deciding upon unrestricted submarining Germany regarded the possibility of America giving her assistance to the Entente as being without weight. He admitted that America's financial assistance was not a matter that could bo dismissed, but contended that in war money had not proved the thing most important for warfare. He was of opinion that the American supply of war material to the Allies was already so great that an increase was hardly possible; on the contrary, the supplies were likely to diminish in consequence of the necessity for America to equip her own enlarged army. He did not anticipate much material help from America within any measurable time, and it was the task of the submarines to diminish it. He declared that in view of the fact that the English, assisted by the Allied fleets, were unable to overcome the U boats tho American fleet would not succeed. Ho boasted that the Entente was without weapons against tho submarines. He referred slightingly to the possibility of an American army being in readiness to proceed to Europe before a year had passed, while the Entente announced that the decision of the war would bo this year. Ho asserted that the east frontier was so strong that General Brusiloff's most ruthless sacrifices were unable to make headway for Russia. He claimed that tho events in Russia promoted the German plans. Despite the necessity to concentrate their forces last year to repulse General Brusiloff, and with limited resources then available on tho west front, they repulsed tho Anglo-French attack. Things to-day were fundamentally different. The west front had become so strong that the Germans could withstand every attack. Pie spoke complacently of the absolute security of the Central Powers on all fronts and their unprecedented strength and preparedness everywhere. The submarine war calculations were turning out correctly. Marshal von Hindenburg concluded with an expression of confidence based on a consideration of all human possibilities.