Particulars of Disaster.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 April 1917, Page 1

Particulars of Disaster.

LONDON, April 22. The La France was attacked at eight o’clock in the evening in a heavy sea'. A week previously she saw the Salta sink in live minutes after striking a mine in the Channel.

The La France did not carry nurses owing to the submarine danger. During the passage to England .ciio risks of torpedoing were discussed, and the •German officers indignantly denied that hospital ships bearing distinguishing marks had boon torpedoed. Tlio “Daily Chronicle’s” correspondent interviewed members of the crew, and they all agreed that some of the German officers behaved despicably and led the panic-rush for the boats.

German Wounded

LONDON, April 22

One of the hospital ships recently torpedoed at eight o’clock at night carried wound od German's who were captured in the recent British advance, including a party of officers of high rank. The only panic was due to the anxiety of the Germans to save their own skins.

They believed tlicir own submarines would save them.

When vhc rescue ships appeared tlicy thought them Germans and shouted loudly to bring their own' countrymen quickly to their rescue.

Official Report.

[ oss of Life

LONDON, April 22

The Admiralty announces that the steamers Donegal and La France were torpedoed without warning on the evening of April 17th, while transporting wounded to British ports. Owing to the'German practice of sinking hospital ships it is no longer possible to distinguish them, because they then become more conspicuous targets. Therefore the Donegal and La France were not marked as hospital ships, but were provided with an escort. The Donegal only carried slightly wounded, of whom twenty-nine, and also twelve of the crew, are missing.

The La France carried 234 Britisn and 167 German wounded, fifty-two of a medical staff, and ]23 of a crew. Twenty-throe British, and fifteen Germans arc missing. Patrol boatw at imminent risk of being torpedoed rescued 152 German wounded. The Admiralty later corrects the above announcement, stating that ono of the hospital ships retained its distinctive markings.

Survivors’ Accounts

LONDON, April 20,

The La France’s survivors state that tuvo hundred Prussian Guardsmen were aboard. When the torpedo struck the Prussians made a rush for the life boats headed by an officer. A British officer shouted “go-back.*’ The Prussian scowled and said, “lou must: save us.” He was told to wait his turn, tile others Prussians then dropped in thenknees and implored pity. Meanwhile the stretcher eases w«*ie brought on deelc first and the. boats lowered without delay. Many vessels were hurrying ti the assistance of the La France. Whole I hr wounded Tommies, many of whom were helpless lay in the decks the Prussian morale droppepd to zero. Some of the Prussians made a crazy

GERMAN CHARGES,

And British Denials

Greek Situation

Bulgar Revuit

GERMAN OIL

A Controversy.

Big Explosion

The Tigress Success

effort to got into a boat and when it was lowered it overturned. The Prussians were thrown into the water and fought cacli thercteannajiniiii water and fought each other in order to reach another boat containing a number of gravely wounded Britishers. One of the Britishers, who had Jus log severed lifted himself up the LaPrance staircase on his hands in order to summon help to aid a Prussian who was unable to move owing to internal injuries.

(An>‘r-!un &NZ. Cab'e A^-ociatiot)

LONDON, April 22

The Press Bureau states: A German wireless message accused the Anglo-French of employing vessels carrying markings of the. Belgian relief ships.' for tiie purpose of attacking submarine*. The allegation as nntrno and is merely a variation of the equally groundless assertion that the Entente is misusing hospital ships. It~is evidently intended as a pretext for torpedoeing Belgian relief ships without warning. The alleged inhuman submarining of ' hospital ships' without warning is the culminationl of savagery and has brought the world face to face with a situation unparalleled in civilised warfare. It lias no justification in any conceivable distortion of international law or the most brutal creed of necessity.

Following th© sinking of the Asturias and the Gloucester Castle, Britain decided to transport wounded in vessels not bearing distinctive markings, and notified Germany of the withdrawal of certain hospital ships'- Tile fighting on the Western front is leaving a very large number of wounded Germans in our hands. Practically all the ships bringing wounded are bound to carry a proportion of Germans, and it remain*; to be seen whether this knowledge will deflect the German Government from its' 'abominable course.

ATHENS, April 23.

The position in Greece is grave, but the incapacity of the Royal Regime is rapidly leading to a situation by wb-icli a final solution may he reached. The Lambros Government has not carried out the Allies’ demand, though it is apparently attempting to do so. Many rifles are still undelivered to the Allies. No steps* have been taken to turn out the German officers who continue to frequent the palace clandestinely. German agents are everywhere in Trcssaly'and have organised irregular bands ’ which maintain communications with Albania and frequent lv raid the communications of the French troops*. The French have, full proof that regular Greek Army officers are organising irregulars.

When the Allies laid the facts including the names of the officers before the Greek Government, Lambros replied: “The officers are above suspicion and their character cannot be questioned.”

ATHENS, April 22

An anti-German revolt in Bulgaria affected twenty towns. German officers were pelted with bombs.

LONDON, April 22.

The “Times” characterises the German quibble regarding tlic word “cadaver” as definitely and deliberately untrue, and repeats the charge that the Germans are using soldiers’ corpses and pointing out that the Government lists fixing the prices of fodder differentiate between “Turkoorpcrinehl” or carcases meal, and “Kadavermclil” or

corpses’ meal. Hon Mr Massey, speaking at Manchester, said the German madness had culminated in the boiling of slain soldiers for commercial requirements. He expressed horror, and trusted that Germany’s evil power would be broken for generations. Lord Curzon, speaking at Derby, confirmed the facts that corpse factories bad been established, adding that no horror repels the Germans. The Bishop of Carlyle described the cannibalism as re-calling the Prussians cannibalism during the thirty years’ war.

LONDON, April 22.

A big explosion is reported at Wilhelmshavep. Property was damaged over a wide area.

•LONDON, April 22

Mesopotamian official: —The enemy force which General Maude defeated and practically wiped out on April 18th was a Turkish detachment on the iett bank of the Tigris who were holding the iShabtlendUaim line and not as previously cabled. Our right llanlc on the right bank of the Tigris opposite the northern flank of the enemy's Istabulai): position advanced a mile during the night of April 19-20 we captured on April 21st. part of the front line of the Tsfabiilat position taking 230 prisoners. LONDON, April 22. ■Egyptian official:—We consolidated the ground gained and are now contacting with the enemy’s main position covering Gaza. This extends to the Sea Coast near iSheikahlmed through Alemuntar to the eastwards' of-the*town and thence southeasterly to Abusaleira. We tooke 219 prisoners. The Kaiser has sent General Mac* kensen to command the Turks in _s.sia Minor, the Sultan consenting.

German Strikes. L „ AMSTERDAM, April Tlig strikes continue in the big German cities.

The police used firoarms (o restore* order in Berlin. There are extensive strikes vs Tti« •Rhine coalfields, including 1 lambing where 350,000 men are striking. There were tumultuous demonstrations at Essen and Magdeburg. The strikers passed resolutions demanding immediate peace on the basis of tlio abandonment of all aunexaim... the immediate abolition of compulseoi ? service, and full political liberty and secret universal suffrage for all the public corporations in the ■German Empire.

War Co. f. ranee

LONDON

April 'i'i

The Imperial War Conference has unanimously adopted the resolution moved by Sir Robert Borden, and seconded bv Hon. Mr Massey, that the rcsiolujbirm adopted at the Imperial Conference of 1907 be modified to permit India, to be fully represented and all future Imperial Conferences, '’and that the necessary stops be taken to secure the assent of the various Governments. The next Conference will ho constituted in accordance therewith.

Wheat Sawing

LONDON, April 22.

The .Board of Agriculture, after a Conference with leading farmers, has directed that 3,000,000 acres of pasture kind in England and Wales must be ploughed and sown in wheat during the coming autumn.

Ready to Work

PETROG'UAI),

April 23

The President of the Workmens Council stated that lie demanded an eight hour day owing to the principle involved, but he was 'ready to work twenty-four hours in order to secure victory.

COPENHAGEN, April 22 Owing to the transport difficulties, one hundred thousand released Russian political prisoners have not yet been deported from Siberia.

Official Repori

LONDON,

April 22

Sir Douglas Haig reports: —We further progressed eastward of Havrincourt wood, and carried the southern portion of Troscoult- village. There was yharp fighting all day southward of Loos where we gained ground. There has been considerable air activity. Eleven enemy machines were imuigni down. Four of our machines are missing.

French Progress

LONDON, April 21

A- French communique states: There was violent reciprocal artillerying, particularly south of St. Quentin, -between the Aisne aiul Ckeinin-des-Dames. We continue our progress on the plateau north of Saucy. We advanced in tltc region of .Hurtebiso, shat tering four enemy att'empts®to leave the trenches, north of Brayen la Vunaise. There was intermittent artillerying at Rlieimy and Champagne. Altogether thirty-three thousand were made prisoners. Five hundred and fifty guns were captured by the AngloFrench between April 4th and 9tli.

l-rench Report

LONDON, April 22.

A French communique reports:—Between the Somme and the Oise an artillery duel was most active.

South of St. Quentin and north of Urvillers the enemy violently bombard ed ißheims particularly the cathedral quarter. l~

In Champagne a series of enemy fractions against the heights of Moronvillers and a violent’ attack against Biglunomit were repulsed after a sharp action with sanguinary enemy Ios&e». s LONDON, April 22. A French communique states: There was violent artillerying, during the night south of St- Quentin.- We again made progress between the Aisne and Chemise des Dames and north of Nancy and Jouny, Grcnading occurred in the region of Hurt-eshi.se and skirmishes and grenading west of Navarin. German aeroplanes last night bombed the region of Dunkirk and three- persons were injured.

In South America.

BUENOS AYRES, April 2k,

A diplomatic sensation an South America is the newspaper “Itevista’s” declaration that Chili is sounding Peru for a joint war against Bolivia. It proposes seizing a part of Tarija. It is believed that Clvili will act if the Argentine is involved in the European war and thereby unable to help Bolivia.