WAR ON HOSPITAL SHIPS.
GERMAN EXCUSES FOR NEW ATROCITY.
PROOFS THAT CANNOT BE PRODUCED.
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH, 1917.
GERMAN COURTS OF BLOOD.
SAVAGE BRUTALITY IN POLAND,
TERRIBLE FATE OF GIRLS AND WOMEN.
FROZEN IN SHIP'S BOATS. CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE
INQUEST ON VICTIMS OF LAURENTIC
The Coroner's inquest on the bodies of The following account of German bru74 of the victims of the disaster to the Laurentie off the Irish coạnt has found that death was due to shock and exposure. Six of the bodies were unidentified.
According to the Cologne Gazette, the tality in Poland by an educated Polo following Memorandum was handed by the from Warsaw, who has recently arrived Gorman Government to the American and in Holland, is published by the Amster Spanish Ambassadors in Borlin for de-dam Telegraaf:- livery to the British and French Gov
eraments
in the great Polish city as if they were The Germany have installed themselves at home. The principal business houses For a considerable time past the enemy of Cracow and Marszalkowska-street, are in the centre of the city, in the suburb Governments, especially the British, have kept by Germans. All industry in the used their hospitaj ships not only for country is dead. The factories are closed
and the machinery of the greater part of rendoring assistance to the wounded them has been taken down and sent to sick, and shipwrecked, but also for mili- Germany,
All the material for industry, the cop itary purposes, thereby violating The
per, the factory machinery, the dynamos, Hague Convention concerning the appli- the motor parts, the cation and the rool have been confiscated by the invader. In cation of the Geneve Coavention on war
a cortain number of large factories and Suspicion had already been warehouses only the four walls remain at som aroused by the fact that the British The kommandantur requisitions every Government during the Gallipoli cam-thing, even to clothing and the shop car- paign had notified to the Governments pots, Provisions are becoming constantly of the Quadruple Alliance a dispropor- scarcer and the poorest part of the tionately large number of vessels as population at Wola has begun to kill dogs hospital ships, which could not possibly for food, have been meant to serve exclusively for the transport and nursing of the wound
eil and sick. Thus in 1915 alone not less than 59 vessels were notified by the British Govorament to be hospital ships, after it had since the outbreak of war already given notice that 10 other vessels were hospital ships. other
MORAL OPPRESSION.
increasing famine, however, is the moral More crushing and agonising than this oppression, the menace of which is ever the country. The Courts of Blood" perform their work without cesention. Firing parties are always at work. In the neighbourhood of Pilwa absolutely in nocent prople have been ghot,
Evidence of identification was taken only in the case of Engineer Lieut. Joules similar verdice to that returned in his Carlisle, 42, the Coroner stating tha case could be returned in the other cases Carlisle was married and belonged to at the close of the proceedings, Mr. Southampton,
ARMY
45,000 ELIGIBLE MEN.
THE DEMAND FOR INQUIRY,
15,000 young men, eligible for military It is calcalated that there are about service, still employed in the different Government departments in London, and about 30,000 in the Post Office Their tribunal under the Military Service Arts. cases have never been submitted to any
indignation at this state of things is The feeling of public resentment and growing (saye The Times) and the remedies suggested are:-
1 Each head of a department to provide a list of his men who are of military age.
The indispensability of such men to be submitted to a tribunal of specially
qualified judges.
Men over military age and women
to be asked to apply for posts in the Civil Service which they could setia factorily all, and have their qualifica tions tested by a central bureau of all the Government departments.
with
The course which Enda favour
Arthur Norton, R.N., said the veSEOU The captain of the Laurentic, Reginald
arrived in port early on the morning of January 25th, and left for sex again shortly after 5 o'clock on the evening of the same day. She carried a complement of 470. At 6.55 he was on the ship a bridge. There was a violent explosion abreast of the foremast on the port side outside the ship, followed 20sec. Inter by room on the port side, He saw nothingested in the subject is that a small com a similar explosion abreast of the engine members of Parliament specially inter in the water before the explosion. The mittee of members of the House of ship was steaming full speed ahead and Commons should be appointed to investi- no lights were showing. He put the gate the nature of the work done by young telegraph Full speed astern," fired a me of military fitness in the departments boats and tried to send a wireless call could be found. rocket, gave the order to turn out the and report whether or not substitutes
er or not si for help, but found it could not be done owing to the second explosion having stopped the dynamo and left the ship in darkness,
manders had used the hospital shipa A month's imprisonment has been inficte The best of order prevailed after the of clerks A
he.
Colours, the recruiting officer submitted
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AS ARBITERS, In November, 1915, the Treasury, ne responsible for the Civil Service, sent to the heads of departments a circular urging them to set free as many of their Asked what he thought was the couse clerks as possible, and in order that they After the victorious termination of the
of the explosion, the witness-Either might be able to do so suggested the Gallipoli campaign, the Turkish Gov.
Search is made continually in privato torpedoes or mines. I am not able to say postponement of all nnessential work, and ernment notified the neutral Powers, in houses to discover a trace of connection which. There were 120 survivors. All the employment of women or men not of Note of protest, that the British com with the enemies "-meaning the Allies, the men got away safely the boats left to each bead, as to the number military age. Full discretion, however, which were in the Eastern Mediterranean on a man who pretended to stop his ears explosion Officers and men lived up to fit to set free for transporting back troops and mili- during the passing of the German fifers the best traditions of the Navy About As each group of men of military age thought tary stores. To this must be added the and a similar sentence in hosting 15 minutes after the explosion he went was being called up for service with the trary to the usual custom, did not equip scenes which leave behind thich nothing Mr. Porter, the chief steward, who had an to each Government Department a list fact that the British Government, cor their flag Lamentable and heartrending round the vessel below in company with certain ships once for all as hospital anermost being a hatred which nothing electric torch, and satisfied himself there of the employes of that department ships, and use them as such for the dura- an uproot are to be seen every where were no more men on the ship. He then de included in the group; and the head of tion of the war, but repeatedly placed al Before my departure I saw with my vessel on the list of hospital ships and own eyes how the Germans proceed in the cidad to abandon the ship, which was the department was asked to return the shortly afterwarda struck her off the list, sweeping away of men. At night cordong sinking.inth and
list to
the recruiting officer with a state so that the German Government was
killed in the engine room, but he know the individual (a) could be spared at It was possible that some one was ment showing against each name whether hardly able to send the corresponding
that all the men got up from the stoke-once; (h) could not be spared until a
En later hold. The men died from exposure date; or (c) was indispensable for the own boat, which was then most recruiting officer dealt with the men in owing to the coldness of the night His duties in which he was engaged. The full of water, was picked up by ease of the indispensables took no further accordance with the retur and in the trawler as 1 o'clock the following morn-action ing. All the men in the boat aurvived. The result of the combing-out, as Another boat contained five survivors applied by the chiefs of Departments, although it had been exposed to the bit is shown by a return of Civil Servante forly cald weather for about 23 hours of The trawlers arrived within a couple
age presented to the House of Commons last of hours of his signal. Forty-five minutes little has been done. The number of men since which very May elapsed from the time of the explosion employed in the different Governments--- he added, I was the last to leave until he left the ship," end naturally exclusive of the Post Office at the out break of war was 67,000. Those of mili tary age murabered 27,000-11,000 married and 15,000 single, On April 1st when the of military return
was prepared the mon age numbered over 20,000. Of these, 3,300 had been medically rejecte The "bet therefore, was that the men of
WOMEN'S FATE,
of troops surrounded a working class Nadwislanska Station with londed rifes, Bt Warsaw not far from the information in time to its naval forces.
“Alles beraus !?' (all out) ordered a ser Thus, for instance, the steamer Coper-gean hagen, which was employed by the The soldiers chose here and there those Then occurred a tragic scene, British Government as a transport, was men and women whom they thought suit notified in a Vorbat Note by the American able, separated brothers and sisters, Embassy in Berlin on Octobór 14th, 1914, mothers and children, and sompelled these to be a hospital ship, while on February whom they declared good for slavery to 8th, 1015, she was again declared to be leave immediately. Thus more than struck off the list in order to be replaced 100,000 men and women were removed once more on the list on January 1st, from the part of the country under the 1016, and again to be struck off on March Government of Waraw 4th, 1916. This procedure clearly pro- duced the impression that it was intend ed to create uncertainty and confusion frour, their families, and collected ja Young women and girls alike are torn regarding the character of the vessela
groups, pell-mell with women of evil life! thus employed, by permitting the peace with the lowest of their sex. The most ful or warlike character of the vessels to beautiful women are reserved for the offi be emphasized according to requirements.cers, Deportation trains leave the coun. Moreover, in 1915 numerous trust try every day for Germany. There, as ernment thint British hospital ships in the on the deported with, in addition, a severe Channel, which had to embark at French regime of terrorism and of punishments: ports and bring to English ports wound- My unhappy fellow countrymen are com- ed men of the British Army fighting on pelled to lie on the ground without cover Franco Belgian soil, wore laden in sing, exposed to all the hardships of the strikingly heavy manner on their journey cold weather.
The medical evidence showed that death in every case was due to shock following exposure,
The chief naval officer of the district said that one boat picked up in the after survivors out of 20, the remainder being frozen
worthy reports reached the German Govin Poland, the hardest labour in imposed noon following the disaster contained age and fitner retained in the
draught, From this circumstance various observers, especially sea captains, con cluded that the vessels were misusing the Red Cross in their passage to Franco, heing used as munition transports on the outward journey
The jury returned a verdict that the cause of death was shock and exposure
The Coroner and the jury expressed victims, the foreman observing that the deep sympathy with the relatives of the
the
for service.
which is
Service numbered 17,300, or 30 per Since then it is supposed that some 2,000 cent of the total employed on April 1st. more have been released. The Port Office, the largest of the Departments, whi from England to France, while on their In Poland there is a regime of misery
not included in the above
figures, 18 return journey they were of formal which no civilised people dare to imposo captain had acted very heroically and used to have done remarkable well. upon its worst criminals, Tuberculone is had done everything possible for his men, employed by the Department at the out- 80,000 men of military age consequently beginning to make frightful The Secretary of the Admiralty has break of war, 60,000 have been released ravages But in spite of everything the energy of made the following announcement the unhappy people is not giving way
atatement appeared in some of this morn The position in some of the other chief Little account is made of fines, espion.
ing's papers to the effect that there was Departments on April 1st is shown in the age, prison. They mock the enemy whem not sufficient time to save all those who following table, and so, by all accounts, Abey detest
to write Polish song son, weath being killed by the exploit may be regarded today of Mili
Male which they sing to German tunes. To the sion, and the ship Laurentic went down air of "Deatschland, Deutschland über carrying with her over 200 men. This is Admiralty
Staff. tary Age. Alles they sing
3,918 Niemiec, Niemiec, wholly incorrect; there was ample time War Office o sa scierwa, which means, Germany, to save everybody, and the ship was very Munition, Department: 4.818 7,800 ferocious beast." And the Germans hear carefully searched above and below and Home Offibok the air without understanding the words, all hands were put into the boats. These Board of Trade............. 0,406 and approve, inttered.
who were lost were lost owing to the cold Customs and the severity of the weather preventing them reaching the abore."
“UNEXCEPTIONARLE WITNESSES.
1J
This surmise was later confirmed by a number of unxceptionable witnesses English soldiers often admitted that hos pital ships were thus employed, and French sergeau told & German prisoner that he clearly observed how munitions were carried during the night to the hospital ship La France in numerous mosor cars while she was lying in Mar- Beilles harbour. British sailors, accord- one side and Usbant and Land's End on ing to the declaration on oath of a trust the other. If after a suitable period of worthy neutral said that the transport
1,873
1,200:
1,128 1,108
2,421
4406
* MOBT KIPENDIVE SOLDIER IN THE WORLD.”? The two obstacles to the general calling of Civil servants for military service
2.190
8.940 Inland Revenue 5,856
תָיו.
grace the enemy hospital. ships are still LOSS OF THE “WORCESTER are their indispensability, in the opinion of munitions to Franco by the English encountered in this area they will he was often carried out in hospital ships, regarded as belligerents and attacked out
SHIRE."
WAR
as
of their chiefs, and their costliness soldiers, in the view of the Treasury
The head of the department thinks his staff cannot be replaced, the Treasury declare
soldier is the most expensive soldier in the world. At the beginning of the war, when volunteers were The Rangoon Gazette of February 20th Covernment, desir ng to set an example called for, tho captains the following: No further to private employers, agreed that Civil details of importance had been received servants who joined the Army should not up to yesterday evening concerning the be at any loss financially. The difference sinking of the Worcestershire off Colombo between their military pay and their civil on Friday, Farther telegrams from pay should be ma
made up. Accordingly passengers to friends confirmed the fact there are thousands of Civil servants that all passengers had been saved.
serving in the ranks as privates who are The Worcestershire left Rangoon on February 9th, having the following past from £100 to £200 a year to £1,000. In addition to that, substitutes sengers:—Sir Charles Fox, Mrs. L. H. of Saunders and two sons, Mrs. J.
deing g their work. MTB I. mumber could not be mentioned by immunity hitherto accorded to hospital Millward, Mr. WW. Forbes, Captain G. In the latest figures available those Dame, because they were directly or in ships, and to employ them for the comfy and Mrs. Watt and son, Miss L M Service it is stated that there are 64,000 Richardson, R.HA., Mr. O. Durrant for October for substitution in the Civil veyance of troops and their equip The message includes a particular, re-
Finally, there are available declarations siders that it can proceed to this of hand. The German Government cons
tors as to how munitions were loaded on the West and South of France to the West on oath by eye-witnesses who were specka-messure all the sooner as the route from FIRST BIBBY LINER SUNK IN THE that the Civil servant who becomes board hospital ships. The most grievous of England remains free for enemy hos violation of The Hague Convention, how pital ships, and therefore the transport ever, lies in the fact that the British of wounded English to their homes and French Governments, in namerous cases, have allowed their troops to be proceed, as formerly, unhindered, transported by hospital ships. In the A TISSUE OF FALSEHOOD. Channel the transport of troops by hos
The Secretary of the Admiralty makes pital ships is clearly customary. More the following announcement: over, on various occasions the arming.
To a German wireless Press messago of such ships has been established. The reports of the informants and witnesses circulated to-day, the allegations are
in fuller mentioned in the Asacxe form only repeated, only
detail, small part of the material before the that it Is the practice of the
British German Government. Of these persons 3
Government to abuse the Houldey, Mrs. M. B. W. Ho Enon-military age have to be paid for
cent. This is direct substitution of men, altogether 60,000. The increase is 87 per but the real increase in the number of women in the Civil Service 78 67.000.
therefore any mention of their names would expose them to heavy reprisals. which is said to have carried 2,500 British Mr. B. S James, Mr. J. P. Sweeney, ference to the hospital ship Britannic, C H. Collingwood, Mr. W O. Rogers, them to Government is concerned, it entertains sworn testimony of an Austrian singer women and children.se which is an increase of 101.4, and it is
In any caso, as far as the German soldiers who were not invalids, on the Nurse Tillikir (with Mr. and Mrs.
Saunders), 22 passengers, no doubt that the enemy Governments named Albert Messany, who on the out- have continually and most grossly violat break of war had been interned in Malte
ed by their behaviour The Hague Agree and had returned to England in Novem-e Worcestershire is the first of the also stated that there is no lack of women
breach of treation by the enemy, in re nouncing the Agreement in its entirety, but on the grounds of humanity it will
line vessels to be lost since the out- of the war She was under the
&
reported.
IF YOU FEEL A COLD APPROACHING
mont concerning the application of the ber, 1916, on board the hospital ship command of Captain A. R. Lindsay and Geneva Convention, The German Gov Britannic
in carried a cumplement of 50 Europeans and ernment would be justified, in view of the
The whole message is a tissue of false-93 Lascars. The Worcestershire was hood; and the only true statement in stel, twin scrow steamer of four masts: the story attribut d to Messany is the was 452.3 feet in length with a a beam of a hot bath at bed-time sad a dose of still refrain from such a course Britannic, as he was an invalid at the of 7,175 gross tonnage: was built in 1904 tives, form the best preventative
fact that he was brought home in the 54.5 feet and a depth of 221 foot was Pinkoties, the little gentle as mature laza by Mesure, Harland & Wolf, Limited, As may be expected, the German Press at Belfast, and was registered at Liver- messages at this moment, are filled with pool; carried wireless and was one of the must up-to-date and comfortable steamers
message of For
of war
time and repatriated for this very reason.
false statements of this kind in order of the line
PINKETTES
On the other hand, it can no longer permit the British Government under the hypocritical cover of the Red Cross to send, without danger to their transports troops and munitions to the main theatre to manufacture a pretext for the latest A Colombo message of February 21
methods of warfare announced by Ger says A communiqué issued by the Cav dispel Constipation, Biliousness, torpið It therefore declares that henceforth it many It cannot too emphatically be relen overmant states that the loss of the liver, sick headaches, and clear the com- will tolerate no enemy hospital ship in stated that on ne occasion since the be reenterahire was due probably to either plexion Of Chemists, or 60 cents the the sea aren between lines drawn between ginning of the war have any but invalids a boating mine or an internal explosion. phial, from Dr. Williams Medicine Co., Flamborough Hend and Terschelling on and hospital staff been embarked on board. The passengers and 11 but three of the 90, Szechuan Road, Shanghai and
(Gandawned at foot of neat golumm?}; any of his Majesty's hospital ships, crew were 6&red.
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HONGKONG METEOROLOGICAL
TIGE Hongkong Observatory, March 18th,
Previous On DafėjOn Date
Day
at
zt 2 pm. 6 a.n. 9 p.m.
29.83 23.84 20.85
Barcmeter Tempersiuse Humidi Wind Dreetics
70:
85
Baat
(81-OF
Highest open-air Temperature on 13th
•Lowest open-air Temperafumm ON
85 Hast
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