MOKE ABOUT THE SOUTH ATLANTIC RAIDER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2982, 20 January 1917, Page 7

MOKE ABOUT THE SOUTH ATLANTIC RAIDER

IDENTITY OF THE VESSEL REPORTED TO HAVE LEFT KIEL FLYING THE DANISH FLAG By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. ' Tv i i r n' • " flw York) January 18. • Dispatches from Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro state that it-is feared that' the British steamer Paraguay and the French steamer Admiral Latouche nil 6 ' . Pernambuco in January, have been captured fey the raider ... T / ls ralde ? reported to have left Rid .flying the Danish flag ' ballasted with iron, and carrying 250 of a crew and four officers. The greatest precaution was. taken so that,the prisoners would not learn any secrets. They wore confined below decks, and suffered severe. Ipdships, and were, given little _■ The identity of the raider has not been disclosed. Survivors say she is either the Vineta- or a vessel of the Mocwe type. It is reported that several Japanese officers aboard the Hudson Ma ru were shot for resisting. The Hudson Maru was captured on January 12, and the crows from other ships wero placed on board her. with a German prize crew, which took her to Pernambuco flying the German flag. '■> . One hundred and seventy British and Hindus, fifty-four French, tliirteen Americans, and.some other nationalities wero landed at Pernambuco. A hundred captured lascars were retained aboard the raider to act as stokers, releasing ■ tho Germans for prize crews. There aro 441 of the captured crews aboard the Yarrowdale, whose whereabouts is a mystqj-y. Some reports say she has foundered; others expect her arrival shortly. , The Brazilian and Argentine Governments are investigating a rumour of' a secret German base at an uninhabited coastal spot. _ Captain Days, of the French schooner Nantes, says the raider flew the British flag when she ordered him to stop, and then showed the German flag and threatened to sink his vessel. The Germans boarded her, removed tho crew, looted the ship, and then sank her by dvnamite.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' ' ' " ' ) - ESTIMATED VALUE OF'SHIPS AND CARGO DESTROYED. New York, January 18. Ihe values of ships cargoes reported destroyed 1 or missing are estimated at between fifteen and twenty million dollars. War risks on vessels trading to Britain have not been affected, but the rates of vessels for tho River Plato rose to '20 per cent. Further advices from Rio de Janeiro state that the Hudson Maru was compelled.to accompany tho raider to 7deg. south latitude, when she was allowed to go on to Pernambuco.—Aus. -N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. RAIDER BELIEVED TO BE SECOND-CLASS CRUISER VINETA'

• rrn -1 • 1 r j i j/t • -,r- New York ' January 18. Tlie raider is believed to lie the cruiser Vmeta.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn * [The Vineta is a second-class cruiser, 5791 tons, completed ill 1899 and belongs to the training tquadron for cadets and boys. She can steam at about ]9 knots, but the small coal capacity of 900 tons limits her radius of action Her armament at the beginning of the war consisted of two B.2in. guns in single armoured turrets, sis 5.9 in., and fourteen 21-gounder quickfirers with three torpedo tubes.] ' FAST PATROL-BOATS HUNTIKG THE RAIDER. New York, Januarv 18. Thero is -widespread belief that submarines aro operating with tlio German raider. , British official opinion is that there is one raider, which is fitted with guns on deck and' torpedo tubes. Tho guns aro concealed by dummy bulwarks. 'Fast patrol boats are searching for tho raider. The report as to the loss of life is not confirmed. It is stated that several Americans wore aboard tho Cleorgic and other ships. The number sunk and capturcd is still indefinite. Tho news created tremendous interest in America." Tho New York newspapers emphasise that it will be difficult for tho raiders to -long cscape capture. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. '