GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1798, 7 March 1918, Page 1

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

GIRL SEA CAPTAIN. Elsie Belluomini, a, pretty Italian girl, whose home is at Viareggio, enjoys the honour of being the first regularly appointed captain in lies country’s merchant marine. Signorina Belluomini relates her success in a letter toll writer in the Paris newspaper, Petit Journal. She hi to be appointed to command a ship, and seems'to. have no doubt of her ability’to inspire confidence in her crew. She writes: —“Where shall I be sent? Ido not know, but lam ready for anything. 1 join the marine in troubled times, and ,1 know but seamen risk their lives every day. But I will show my crew that a woman can be as brave as a man. If my fate is to'be torpedoed I shall observe the traditions of the sea, and be the last to leave the ship entrusted to me. My life I sacrifice in advance. It is at the service, ot my country, and of my dear noble sisters, France and England. I only hope my example will be followed. The need of officers in the merchant service is so great: that a woman’s action in enlisting in her country’s navy may not.be quite in vain.’Long live Italy; down with Germany!” GUARDING NATIONAL TREASURES. Owing to aircraft attacks; precautions have been taken against damage to woi’ks of art in museums in London. This policy is now being very considerably extended in order to safeguard’national treasures. Iti is obvious that the removal of these works of art, says H.M. Office of "Works, will render vacant valuable Government space suitable for office accommodation at no expense and on inconvenience to the general, taxpayer, and part of the British Museum is to be so utilised. KAISER’S HATRED OF “LAWYERS.” At the Lawyers’ Club in New York the other day, Mr Gerard, the former Ambassador in Berlin, told an interesting anecdote illustrating the contempt which the German Emperor entertained for lawyers. In a notable interview, the Kaiser took the opportunity to express to Mr Gerard bis hatred and contempt of them. “After shaking his fingers in my face,” said Mr Gerard, “and telling me he would stand no nonsense from America after the war, the monarch shouted, “AH the people who are opposed to me arc lawyers. Lloyd , Gswge, Asquith, Poincare, they are all lawyers.’ ” THEIR FIRST SUBMARINE. The first German submarine destroyed by the United States naval forces was captured and sunk by the destroyer Fanning, with the assistance of the destroyer Nicholson, during November. A periscope was sighted for a few seconds, and a. depth bomb was fired. When the U-boat rose to the surface the crew surrendered. An attempt was made to take the U-boat in tow, but she sank and was cut loose. Two American seamen risked their lives by jumping overboard to rescue the German seaman who died later. The crew of the submarine cheered as they left the craft.