STORIES OF THE CREWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1917, Page 5

STORIES OF THE CREWS.

MOEWE TACTICS USED HOW THE RAIDER LEFT KIEL MOVING PICTURES TAKEN Received .lan. 21. 5.5 p.m. Pornambueo, .Tin. 20. The mows of sunken ships state that the raider is of the Moewo type. On December 18 the Dramatist sighted tho stranger, which came alongside- and hoisted the German flag, and gave the signal to stop immediately. The side of the vessel under the forecastle bulwark'; v.'as then dropped, revealing two guns of 21-inch calibre. The Dramatist surrendered and'was sunk six hours later, the crow heing transferred to the TTndson Maru, which followed the raider until January 12. when she was sent to IV"munbueo. When any vessel was sighted, all those who had been ,captured were sent below, and tho watertight doors were ioeked. The Germans told the prisoners that if a British cruiser appeared thty would be given a chance of saving themselves. The raider left Kiel with a deekload of hay and flew a neutral flag. The vessel steamed slowly by day, but travelled at fill! speed by night. When passing neutral vessels the British flag was hoisted. The captain slated that lie did not desire to sink passenger vessels. Those captured complain of the scarcity of food. only one ounce of meat daily being allowed. The sanitary arrangements were so inadequate that an epidemic tine.itoned. Whenever a vessel was sunk in. daylight the raider took moving pictures. GERMAN OFFICIAL STATEMENTS. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reutor. Received Jan. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 20. A Gorman official message states: Tho British steamer Yarrowdalc was brought into harbor on December 31 as a prae, with nineteen of a prize crew. Four hundred and sixty-nine members of the crews of ships captured in the Atlantic were put, aboard. The cargoes of these v/cre chiefly war material and foodstuffs. Three of the British siiips that were sunk were armed. One hundred and throe neutrals among the crews have been detained as prisoners because they were employed on enemy vessels. THE CAPTURED CARGOES. Renter Service. Received Jan. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, .Inn. 20. A Berlin official report states: The Yarrowdalc brought the cargoes of ihe vessels captured, including 0000 ton:, of wheat, 2000 tons of flour, and 1000 horses. The Yarrowdale's cargo included 117 motor lorries, 0300 cases of ride cartridges, 30,000 reels of barbed wir.\ end much meat. I VARIOUS RUMORS. J . ! ALLIED VESSELS ON THE TRACK. BLOCKING THE'WIRELESS. New York, January 10. A despatch from Buenos Aires says that the log of the Radnorshire shows that the Germans gave tho crew eight minutes to leave the vessel. The hoarding party was accompanied by a nnoma operator, who took pictures of tho erew : leaving the ship. The raider's captain told the captain of tiic Radnorshire that lie had been ordered to spa-re all passengers and vessels not carrying big cargoes. The Rud- , norshire's men were kept in an ill-ven-tilated compartment cramped and stuffy, along with Hindus, lor live days, when they were transferred to the Hudson Mam, which wa„ sent' to Pornambueo ' with scarcely enough water anil sea biscuits to complete the, voyage. The Incw York Times Washington cor- [ respondent learns that there is more than one raider, owing to the transfer of guns and prize crews to tho captured [ vessels. It is belie* ed the Azores is the pivot of operations. Reports from Rio de Janiero' differ. Some believe the raider is tile Mocwe, . others say she is a heavily-armed yacht. ' Several of the victims sent the S.O.S. i signal, but tho raiders speed enabled ; her to overtake them. I' The American consul at I'ernimihuco

reports that no American ship lias been sunk. Anxiety is felt for other ships in the raider's path. Allied cruisers are scouring the oeean and forming a, cordon. It is asserted that ierman agents placed men on board ships leaving New York with instructions to jamb the wire less wlir-ii the raider appeared. The British Consulate lias known that the raider was operating since early in December, and sent wireless warnings regularly. ARRIVAL (IF YARROWDALE. Rio de .lanioro, January 18. According to reliable information the Yairowdale has arrived at St. Vincent, Cape Verde Island-, with the crews of. eight ships sunk by the Herman raider. EFFICIENCY OF THE BLOCKADE STATEMENT BY LORD ROBERT CECTI* AI'STP.O GKRMANIS IN' FP.ATE NEED. Received Jar. 20, S.IC p.m. London, Jan. 10. RoassiTving details as to the efficiency oi the blockade were given in nr interview granted by Lord Robot Cecil to the Radio Agency to be published in the Paris newspapers to-morrow, rnd transmitted to London by wireless. The Crews cm-respondent states that Lord Robert Cecil emphasised that the basis whereon the lilockade rets is the Allies'" maritime supremacy, for without that supremacy u. » uuld be impos-/ sible to cut off Austro-German supplies, whereof there i.s every indication that both are in such de-j/eratc. need. It 'would also be impossible fo. the Allies to satisfy their a-ii .vanta to carry on tho oversea operations which they are conducting in all p:.iis o* the world. A?, far as the blockade wa- concerned, operations were c.'iic-ily entrusted, for [geographical reasons, to tin. British I Navy, but it- jnove.i to nave associated 'therewith many \uM» o e the French Meet, which performed most valuable and gallant services in the common ■ can-e. We were undoubtedly entitled to our sea powt-i to cut off the | enemy's- supplies. \ A COMPARISON OF METHODS. The Germans endeavored to cut of!' all the supplies from Britain, and it was the lack of the necessary power that alone prevents them from succeeding. She had, in IS7O, a kimlred power a.s far as J'aris was concerned, and exercised it ruthlessly. Our methods were, strictly in accordance with international law, and were not disgraced by the outrages committed, in all too many instances by the enemies' naval forces. How do we. deal with neutrals' rights? We maintain that neutrals adjacent to Germany are not penalised so far as their real home requirements 'are concerned. We facilitate obtaining the goods necessary in this connection. The Allies are controlling many sources of raw material, and are clearly entitled to impose jonditioiv. before par-ting with goods so controlled. They are prepared to supply them if neutrals agree to limit their demands to their- own needs, and not become a basis of supply to the enemy. The effect of this policy is seen in the accounts appearing daily, with added force, in newspapers gathered from ,'iiomy audi neutral sources, lostifying to Germany's steadily increasing want. GERMANY'S SORE'STRAITS. The blockade,-is not a failure when the enemy is commandeering all available domestic supplies and copper., while introducing substitutes of dubious value for rubber, and issuing tickets for food and clothing. The ration for every German is supposed to include half a pound of meat weekly, a few thimblefuls of butter and an egg ..ortnightly, but this is frequently not forthcoming. The bread U bad, and scarce; the potato crop has largely failed; and the hopes of tho' Germans founded thereon 'have been largely disappointed. The position in Germany appears to bo ve'-y grave, and there is every mison to believe the condition of her Allies is even worse. LEAKAGE THROUGH NEUTRALS. Regarding the question as to whether an undue amount of materials was allowed to reach countries adjacent to Germany in 1!>1G, thus assisting her power.-,'of re-istance, I give (he total imports of commodities into Scandinavia f.nd llo'.lanad for the first nine months, compared with the normal pre-war imports for home requirements for three years preceding the war, -or jovn and hour, corn, fodder, and oil-cake. The pre-war importation totalled 11,170,000 tons that for home ;onsumption being :;,-2.-|i,(]|l(i, while the total imports for I'llO were n.0110,000 tons. < Received .lan. 21, ">,lO p.m. Continuing bis statement, Lord Robert Cecil :aid that the respective figures for copper were. 100,000, -21,000, and ■>2 000,' animal and vegetable oils and fat, 4-10,000, 250.000, and 250,000. ENEMY PREVENTED FROM OBTAINING SUPPLIES. These examples were typioa l in' olhcr commodities, and are of value o bow the. efiiciency of the blockade, pyr/mg that, apart i'rom the inevitable ca;,cs of smufding, the enemy has been prevented from obtaining supplies iversca:'.. The question of the disposal of homo-grown produce in countries bordering on Germany was more difficult, as the prices in Germany were nigh. ..nd the dilliculties of transport to the Allies' countries were not small. Naturally, where the produce mentioned was uenendent on uaw materials or ilic iaeilities offered by the Allies, the would take advantage of the fact, Steps, moreover, would be taken to make large purchases in these countries, and every effort would be made to ensure that, neutrals adjacent to Germany should tvea-t Germany with -vtrict impartiality. ■Some of them, at one time, were .c.dmed to be tempted by the large prices offered into becoming bases for supplies for aur enemies, but this bad been stopped altogether. As far as overseas goods were concerned, and with respect to home-grown produce, the position bad much improved. SPANISIfSTEAMERS SUNK, London January 10. The Spanish steamers Valle (2303 tons) and Manuel (2419 tons) have been > sunk.

THE SUBMARINE MENACE. GERMANY'S LAST HOPE. Loudon, January 10. A correspondent in Cologne, who recently made a tour through u number of German cities, after referring to the discontent caused lit the food stringency, states that it. is known that Field-Marsha! von Uiiidonbuig recently returned from a second visit to the we-it front profoundly impressed by the ne-res.-ity fur the politicians to ,-ecure peace. The whole west front is a. nightmare, while th western army is in bad order owing to its failure-,. Every iullucnee, social, political and financial, is u-ed to prevent the return of soldiers to Franco, although the authorities nO'er superior supplies of food, shorter intervals in the trenches, and amusements at Liilc, llhent- and elsewhere. A great German manufacturer, after a visit to Berlin, said that the German , Government believed the wa. wii* settling into a starvation match, in which the submarines may secure Germany's terms. Food is dearer in parts of Russia tbab in Germany while Britain and France are believed to be suffering acutely. Submarines are blockading the French coast. A thousand submarines are being constructed; three hundred are afloat; one hundred have been lost. The crews arc trained for twelve weeks. "If." he said, ''we an maintain air military position we shall win the war under water"