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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14235, 1 March 1917, Page 8

The German ftGvernmerit takes' for granted that proceedings oil charges of murder will l>e taken against the commander and, crew- ..ot". tluußarailong, , and awaits information of the result of such proceeding, which should be hastened,'} so that the German Government might' convince itself that the perpetrators of' .the deed had been punished adequately. : ; Broad hints contained ■ m tile ( J^ote are apparently . intended to ■ convey , the threat that Germany would consider the absencp of such action ou. the, part of the British Government as full ex* cuse for reprisals. , f , . DESERVED RETRIBUTION. Our London correspondent returned to the subject on' January 9, when he cabled the following: — * . ■ .' The naval correspondent of the Sydney Observer states that the Baralong's submarine was the destroyer of the Arabic, and that the crew 'g hands were still dripping with the blood of women and children. , Germany's allegations m regard to the Baralong, he points out, were not I proved. The* witnesses" were contradictory and unreliable; but the. commander of the Baralong obviously <could not^allow the Germans to reach the Nicosfam, towards which they swam, instead of to the Baralong. The Nicotian was not tenanted and carried 350 mules. The Germans could have taken out the valves and then held up their hands and cried "Conu'ade!" Concerning the German commander, most people will think that „tho destroyer of the. Arabic deserved the fate he is alleged to have met. T, he. statement that ho attempted to surrender- .is contradicted. The story that the British kicked the faces- o'f^dead men is a palpable lie. The world knows what to think of those .who whine: over- the necessary shooting of a. submarine crew while they are; perpetrating outrages like the sinking of the Persia. GERMANY'S HYPOCRISY. Nothing more was heard of the'incident m Australia until , January 19, when the following item, printed m the London Times; appeared m the Sun:—' In the Reichstag Dr. Zimmermann, Under-Secretary of State fov Forejgn Affairs, speaking on behalf of the-Gov-ernment, thanked the 'Reichstag and the nation for their unanimous, .expression of horror at the Bnralong incident. He assured members that the Govej'nmer.t would find the right way .and means to return punishment, .sharply and emphatically, for this horrible English deed. i Herr Lodebour, a Socialist, pointed out that reprisals constituted a donbleedged weapon. He hoped that the Government would not go beyond the limits m its submarine warfai'e which were fixed after the Lusitania affair, when Germany promised not to torpedo vessels without w<u'm' n g. A section of the Socialists applauded this speech. The German press enthusiastically endorses the Government's promise of reprisals.. Tho Frmkfurt Zeitung regrets the opposition of Herr Liebknecht. - tha Socialist leader, to the plan, and asks the people to consider him as a diseased political ruffian. SIR EDWARD GREY'S REJOINDER. On March Bth a further reference was made to the matter m the Times, rod on the same day this appenred m the Sun : — ' . :", '■'■ . :■' . ' Tho Gorman Government has expressed dissatisfaction at Great Britain's reply to tho Baralong charges. As Engand refuses reparation Germany intends to punish this unexpiated dime by retaliatory ' measures- Sir Edward Grey, Minister for Foreign Affairs, has replied offering a complete and impartial inquiry into the Baralong, Arabic, ' Ruel, and other pases. Then came a- long silence, which was not broken until August 2nd, 1916. when the following cable was sent to. the Sun : — The Cologne Gazette violently attacks the Britcsh Government as 'the instigator of sea crimes, and says that m this respect the Baralong incident holds the world's record. I