THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3372, 30 October 1918, Page 16

THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

THE SEPTEMBER LOSSES. The Admiralty announces that the British merchant tonnage losses in September totalled 152,000 gross, and the Allied and neutral combined 83,000. The aggregate constitutes the lowest monthly sinkings since August, 1916, and is below that year's monthly average. The total losses for the three months ended September were 893,000 tons, as compared with 964.000 tons for the previous quarter, and 1,500,000 for the corresponding quarter last year. The sailings of steamships exceeding 500 gross tons between the United Kingdom and overseas ports, excluding cross-Channel traffic, was 7,500,000 tons during September. SUBMARINE BASES IN THE PACIFIC. The Admiralty has issued a striking map, showing how the return of the German colonies would provide submarine bases threatening the whole of the world's trade routes. Submarines with a radius of 4000 miles, operating from Rabaul and Samoa, would be able to cut off every Australasian port, the east coast of Japan, the Straits Settlements, and reaoh nearly to Panama.

(ANOTHER OUTtRAGEI. Another Irish pac it steamer—the Dundalk—was torpedoed, in the Irish Sea. Thirteen out of a crew of 3$ have been landed. The pilots at Stavanger (Norway) report that submarines flying the white flag were seen, bound southward. THE MENACE MORE SERIOUS THAN EVER. Sir Erie Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, interviewed after his American trip, said: "Germany's underwater strength will be greater at the end of the year than ever. We reached the high-water mark of success against the U boats in April and May, but since then we have had to modify our hunting campaign in order to more effectually escort the American troopships. This, coupled with Germany's increased building, has placed the . enemy in a position to offer a more serious ; menace to snipping* than ever." GERMAN TRANSPORT SUNK. The German transport Hapsburg, of 10,000 tons, struck a mine when going from Riga to Danzig. A number of her lifeboats capsized, and 100 soldiers were drowned. The Hapsburg reached Reval badly damaged. * SHIPBUILDING PROGRESS. The United Press Washington correspondent states that members of the Senate Military Committee said that the Ameri- ! can and Allied shipbuilding was so sue- • cessful against the U boats that the losses were now only 7 per cent, less than at tho outbreak of the war. The world's shipbuilding now totals 32,000,000 tons. Since the beginning of the war the United States Government has increased its shipping by 103 per cent, ! The Press Bureau states that the Governj ment has decided to sell a limited number of Government-owned vessels to shipI owners who have lost ships by submarining, in order to replace their losses. This , decision will not affect the use of the vessels during the war-emergency periods UNITED STATES NAVAL PROGRAMME. The New York Times Washington correspondent says: Mr Daniels, in explaining the United States naval programme for the : next three years, said it will authorise an ! expenditure of 600,000 ; 000dol towards buildI ing 156 vessels, including 10 battleships and six battle-cruisers. AMERICAN ITEMS. Tho United States Liberty Loan figures indicate a laree over-subsci-iption. It is officially announced that President | Wilson has awarded Distinguished Servioa Medals to Marshals Foch and Joffre and Generals Petain, Diaz, Pershing, and Gillian. PRISONERS OF WAR, Mr J. F. Hope (Lord of the Treasury), in the House of Commons, said the British prisoners in Germany totalled 5362 officers and 142,987 men. There were 28 officers and 242 men in Austria, and 430 officers, 117 Indian officers, 2371 British men, and 6589 Indians in Turkey. The Unionist and Liberal War Committees have debated the position of prisoners of war in Germany and elsewhere. Tho Liberal Committee passed a resolution that

the Allies, as one of the conditions of peace, insist on thß surrender of all those who are suspected of cruelties to prisoners. The twenty-third report of the Belgian Commission gives details of many atrocities oh Belgian prisoners in Germany,_ including the torture of the post, sometimes for 24 hours, and beating with rifle butts. At Munster m September, 1914, 17 Belgian were shot because they did not obey quickly enough the sentry's order to line up. EXPERIENCES OF A NEW ZEALANDER. Captain Gray, a New Zealander, who has been repatriated from Germany, has thanked Sir Thomas Mackenzie for the attention given to prisoners' letters and parcels for Germany. He states that the prisoners certainly could not survive without the food contained in the parcels. Lieutenant Juriss, a New Zealander, who has been serving with the British army, has returned to England after spending 25 months as la prisoner in Germany, most of the time in the Clausthal camp, commanded by one of the notorious Niemayer brothers. Lieutenant Juriss fully confirms the reports of the bad treatment of prisoners, especially privates, who are treated 100 ,per cent, worse than officers. Clausthal is known as the Robbery Camp, as the officers always had a deficit to make,up, in contra-distinction to the Freiburg Camp, where there was always a surplus. Niemayer admitted to Lieutenant Juriss that the prisoners were always robbed at Clausthal by those in charge. The canteen was bad, and the treatment of officers consisted of mental torture. They were searched several times weekly, and any little thing that had been purchased to make the carat) more cheerful was destroyed. When Niemayer found that the men enjoyed sports he promptly forbade them. During the March offensive the commandment hypocritically declared that he regretted to hurt the officers' feelings, and he gloatingly gave exaggerated accounts of the German victorious progress. He gave them details every few hours, and could not understand the Britishers remaining cheerful in such circumstances. Lieutenant Juriss states that German soldiers, with bayonets, slashed the names of the Kaiser and Marshal von Hindsnburg on war loan posters. The guards latterly treated the prisoners better, and undisguisedly expressed their contempt, of their own officers. GERMANY AND REPRISALS. A semi-official German reply has been issued regarding the British threat of reprisals. This reiterates the demand that the Germans in China shall not be deported, and tho non-commissioned officßrs_ and men of submarines interned in Switzerland and Holland will be included in the recent Hague agreement. As regards the bad treatment of prisoners, Germany says she has mere reason to complain than Britain, and_ alleges acts of violence against German prisoners. She hopes that some other means than reprisals will be found to redress such misdeeds. A V.C. HERO. The Victoria Cross has been awarded to Sergeant Samuel Forsyth, of tho _ New Zealand Engineers, for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. In an attack which was nearing its objective, Forsyth's company came under heavy machine-gun fire, but through his dashing leadership and total disregard of

danger three machine-gun positions were rushed and their crews taken prisoner before they could inflict many casualties. During the/ subsequent ,advance Forsyth's company again came under heavy fire from several machine guns, of which he located two by a daring reconnaissance. In an endeavour to gain support from a tank, Sergeant Forsyth was wounded, but, in • face of very heavy fire, he endeavoured to lead the tank into a favourable position. The tank, however, was put out of action. Forsyth then organised the tank crew and several of his "men into sections and led them to a position where the machine-gunners could be outflanked. Always under fire, he brought about the retirement of the machine guns and enabled the British advance to continue. At this moment a sniper killed; Sergeant Forsyth. Throughout, his courage, coolness, and great power of initiative proved to be an invaluable incentive to all, and saved many casualties. INTER-ALLIED DIPLOMATIC COUNCIL. It is repotred that the Allies are forming an Inter-Allied Diplomatic Council, Colonel House representing America-. Colonel House, on his arrival, stated that he would participate in all diplomatio meetings while here. If an inter-allied diplomatic council were constituted he would represent America. He is also to confer with Marshal Focli almost at once. THE SEAMEN'S BOYCOTT. Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P., attempted, to board a. Folkestone vessel to attend a Socialist conference at Paris, but some seamen, acting upon instructions from the Sailors and Firemen's Union, refused to sail if Mr Henderson's party were passengers, the seamen 6aying, " Henderson ia doing his work with the assistance of German money." Mr Henderson decided to return to London, but' the taxi-cab man refused to drive him from the station, and Mr Henderson's friends were compelled to carry his luggage. VARIOUS ITEMS. , The Belgian Government has appointee! Bruges as the temporary capital. In the House of Commons Lord Montagu said there were 100,000 Indian troops engaged in Palestine. Owing to railway difficulties, the Government has prohibited winter racing. Mr Clynes estimated the board subsidy for the current financial year at £50,000,000. A second bar to the Military Medal has been awarded to Bombardier R. D. Pattie. a New Zealander. 'The Military Medal has been awarded to 19 New Zealanders. The South African crioketer # Gordon White has succumbed to wounds in Palestine. - AUSTRALIAN WAR LOAN. The time for the War Loan extension expired on the 28th. No figures are available, but it is generally anticipated that the additional £3,000,000 needed has been subscribed, 60 that compulsion 'is unnecessary.