THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1917, Page 5

THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

SINKING OF THE ATHOS. A STIREIXG NARRATIVE.. STORIES OF HEROISM. Paris, March 6. A stirring narrative has been published, describing the sinking of the Athos on February 17, which reads like c second story cf the Birkenhead. When the torpedo struck the Athos the captain gave her ten minutes' life. The chief engineer, Donzel, whose hand had been blown off, went to the engineroom instantly to prevent an explosion. He knew he could never come up and he did not. The Athos carried a thousand Chinese coolies, who were going aa laborers to France under Captain Silvestre'and a dozen interpreter officers. These saved all the coolies, but Captain Silvestr;. and the interpreters went down. The transport carried three German spies caught in who had been confined in separate cells. Sergeant Moujean, who was responsible for them, went to the hold and unlocked two cells and the prisoners were saved. While he was unlocking the third the Athos sank and the spy and Moujean were drowned. A battalion of Senegalese infantry under French officers could not be saved, and sank. The Senegalese were drawn up in line at the present arms, with their officers at their head saluting. Captain Dcrise, who commanded the transport, went down with the ship and came* up, but died on the surface. Two men swam ashore with his dead body. MESOPOTAMIA. DEVELOPMENTS EAGERLY AWAITED. London, March (J. The rout of the Turkish army, the remnants of which must now have readied Bagdad, is a most significant event, in view of the profound political effect throughout the East. It is regarded as inconceivable that Germany will not attempt a counter stroke, not only to save the Turks, but the German regime i» Turkey. It is recalled in this connection that the German troops who left Constantinople just before the capture of Kut believed that the report that they were going to the main "astern front was only designed to cloak the fact that they .were to bo despatched to Bagdad.. Developments are eagerly awaited, and meanwhile it is pointed out that the urgency of the needs of Germany's allies must be growing daily and constitute an aspect of the war which cannot be overlooked.