MERCHANTMEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2959, 23 December 1916, Page 9

MERCHANTMEN

RIGHTS OF THOSE ARMED AND UNARMED ';\ .London, December 21. In the House sof -Commons, Sir .'.EL. Carson (First Lord of the Admiralty), referring • to the reply of Germany regarding Captain Blaikie, declared that Britain did. not. admit any' distinction between the rights'of unarmed mer-, chantmen and those defensively armed, • Doubtless Germany aimed at confu?. sing offensive and defdtovo action, with ■the.object of. .-inducing neutrals to.' treat defensively : armed vessels as war? ! ships. Our position was that merchantmen; , i enjoyed an immemorial.right to defend V : themselves from attack, visit, or search. by the enemy by any means. \ He believed that all neutrals. accepted this:; view; which was, "moreover, _ embodied in the German prize regulations. He assured the House. tEaT continuous attention Was given to the protec- ■. tive. arming of merchantmen.—Router. i . ARE THEIS-QF-WAR? 'j A GERMAN DECISION -- J Amsterdam, December 21', ■ The ''Taglischo Bundscbaii," referring to the case of Captain "Blaikie, says that the Government lias finally decided that England's armecl commer- ' ■ ■ i cial and passenger steamers are men-of-war. The promise given to America that before torpedoing these vessels they must be stopped falls to the ground.-rrAus.-N.Z. Cable .Assn. . UNDERWATER PIRACY ' THREE MORE .STEAMERS SUNK London, December 21. ' The vessels sunk by submarines ■ to*: day are: —British: Blairhall, 2549 tons; Japanese: Takimarii;'32oS.-tons. Nor- . \ wegian: Prima, 1233 tons—Aus.-N'.Z. • - Cable Assn." ' ■ i -.1 FOUR MORE VESSELS . '•-/ SUNK BY HUN PIRATES . ,yf (Rec. December 22, 9.35 p.m.)" • : | ■ London, December' 22. .; : j ' The latest sinkings are: British-r j' Bayhall and Liverpool, 686 tons; a Danish—Chassiemaersk, 1307 tons, ana 3 Gerda,. 775 tons.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable >1 Assn. . . • . s U-BOAT SUNK BY FRENCH TORPEDOERS (Rec. December 22, 11.30 p.m.) ; . Paris, December 22. It; is reported ,tliat torpedoers sank the - submarine. U4G, which sank . -! 1 several vessels off St. 'Nazaire.—Reuter. AMERICAN LINER „ STRIKES A MINE. , (Rec. December 22,-9.35 p.m.)-v.. ; . London, December 22. " The American steamer Karisan (7913 tons) struck a mine. Her fore part is' '■ badly damaged. -- FRENCH BATTLESHIP SUPFREN ' TORPEDOED OFF LISBON. , London, December 21... .- A German official message claims that . the French battleship Sutfren was tor- ; pedoed fifty miles north-west, of Lisbon \j on November,' .'26—Aus.-N.Z. Cable i Assri.-Reuter. • [ [The Suffren left for L'Orient (a seaj port in the Department of Brittany) .' on November 24, and .on December 8 was reported as not having arrived.] . ITALIAN STEAMER SUNK- v : CUT IN TWO BY A CRUISER.; \ Paris, December 21.-., .The French armoured, cruiser Ernest' Renan "collided, with-and'cut'in two, an Italian steamer." One hundred and fifteen passengers were picked up. Fifteen - perished.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. p...—— ' . .'