ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

A SECOND BARALONG CASE. THE TRUE STOR GERMAN LTES EXPOSED. London, Nov. 7. The Admiralty states that the German press is attempting to make capital out of what may be described as a second Baralong case. One object is the incitement of American opinion against Britain, and another is the finding of arguments in favor of an unrestrained submarine campaign. The facts arc perfectly simple. On the morning of September 24, l'flJE, in the western Channel, U4l was engaged in sinking British merchantmen. "Meanwhile a converted merchantman, commissioned as an auxiliary ship, approached. Her character would have been -immediately recognised, and. lest the submarine should submerge before she was within range, she hoisted neutral colors, a perfectly legitimate ruse-dc-guerrp. >, She hoisted, when within range, the white ensign, as British warships are required to do, and fired on and sank the submarine.

The commander's immediate preoccupation was to rescue the crew cf a British steamer, who had been compelled to take to the boats fifty miles from the nearest port. The auxiliary thip then closed on one of the sunken steamer's boats, which had broken adrift, and in which were two survivors from the submarine. These were rescued m the same way as, but after, the victims of the mbmarine.

The use of the neutral flag in order to approach within range of the enemy Is a recognised naval practice, which has repeatedly been adopted by the Germans. The majority of the .M'oewe's victims were secured bv this method.

It is difficult to believe that anybody except a German could base on these facts an accusation of brutality on the ground that the English, not the German, survivors were saved first by a few minutes.

Th-; allegation that the Admiralty ever issued orders that the survivors Of submarines need not be rescued is an absolute lie, which was explicitly denied in the. note of February 25 on the Baralong case.

TWO GERMAN WARSHIPS TORiPEDOED. Received Nov. S, 5.5 p.m. London,. Nov. 7. The Admiralty state that the commander of the submarine who fired on a German battleship, reported yesterday, claims that he hit two Dreadnoughts of the Kaiser clas3. BELGIAN RELIEF SHIPS LOST. Received Nov. 8, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov 7. Twelve Belgian relief ships have been lost. Two or three were torpedoed, and the rest were mined. GERMAN DUTY AS TO SUNKEN y, SHIPS. New York, Nov. 7. The London correspondent of the New York Times interviewed Mr. Robert Yerburgh, president of the Navy League, who said that 217 chambers of commerce had agreed that Germany must replace every sunken ship before peace negotiations were opened. Xiie League was demanding that the Government should insist on these terms.