SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 24 April 1917, Page 5

SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

PIGHTING THE PIRATES,

FRESH BATCHES SENT WEEKLY,

LONDON, April 22,

The consensus of expert opinion is that the comparatively stationary number of weekly sinkings of British racr* chantmen does not indicate any lack of success in dealing with the submarine menace. On the contrary, it is believed that the German arc dispatching fresh batches of submarines weekly, and are not waiting for, tidings of those sent previously, many of which never return. The enemy’s obvious intention is to maintain the campaign at its highest pitch of intensity as long as possible.

The “Observer” remarks that the difficulty is not in destroying the submarines, but in finding and getting them within range of the implements of destruction. , ,

SAVAGERY’S CLIMAX. tMNKING THE HOSPITAL SHIPS. GERMANS NOW ON TRANSPORTS. LONDON, April 22. The Government Official Press Bureau says that a German wireless message

the British and French of emTploying vessels carrying markings of Belgian relief ships for the purpose of attacking submarines The allegation was untrue, and was merely a variation of ari equally groundless assertion that the Entente was misusing hospital

ships. Evidently this was intended as a pretext for torpedoing Belgian relief ships without warning. The illegal and inhuman submarining of hospital ships was the culmination of savagery, and brought the world face to face with the situation unparalleled in civilised warfare. It had not justification in any conceivable distortion of international law' or the most brutal creed of necessity. Following the 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 The fighting on the West front is leaving a very large number of wounded Germans on our hands, and practically all the ships bringing wounded are bound to carry a proportion of Germans. It remains to be seen whether this knowledge will deflect the German Government from its abominable course.

A QUICK GET AWAY.

BY GERMAN SUBMARINE.

Received 9.40,

WASHINGTON, April 23

The American Consul in England reports that a U Boat, upon sighting a British patrol, submerged, having 19 prisoners on the submarine’s deck. They we,re struggling in the sea for an hour, when they were rescued by the patrol. There were five Americans among them.

WHOLESALE CAP TUBE OF U BOATS

TWENTY IN ONE DAY,

HOW IT IS DONE. Received 11.45. WASHINGTON, April 23. A member, of the Balfour Party has admitted that twenty German submarines were captured the day previous to Mr Balfour’s The U boats were searching for base, and being unable to find starving crews gladly surrendered. Britain is capturing and sinking more sub-

marines than anyone imagines. Their jj' bases are sought out and destroyed almost as soon as established.