Evening star., 1915-02-23
Second Vessel Sunk by Mine or
Torpedo Since Blockade
of England.
PRESS OF GREAT BRITAIN
DEMANDS QUICK ACTION
Premier Asquith Declares Retalia-
tory Measures Against Ger
many Will Be Broad.

LONDON. February 23.-Almost stimuli
| taneously with the determined demands
of the English press that the govern
ment act quickly in pressing its re-
taliatory measures against the German
blockade of the British Isles. comes
the announcement that second Nor
wegian steamer has been sunk by a
submarine or mine off Dover. The Reg
in is the second vessel flying the Nor
wegian flag that has been sent to the
bottom since the Tcuton blockade was
declared. The crew of twenty-five men
was saved. The Regin, which was car
rying coal from the Tyne to Bordeaux.
sank ten minutes after she was struck.
Broad Retaliation Planned.
Almost coincident with the unofficial
reports that Austria proposes to follow
the example of her ally by making war
on merchant ships in the Adriatic came
the announcement by Premier Asquith
that the much discussed retaliatory
plan of Great Britain, though still
tentative, was much broader in scope
than had been previously suggested, IN
that it was a matter for the considera-
tion of all the allies, and that Joint
note concerning it might be expected
from the allies.
Complaint at Delay.
Complaints at the governments delay
in enforcing the blockade, or whatever
reprisals have been decided upon against
Germany are voiced in the editorial col
umns Of the morning papers. The Mail
says the British nation is laboring under
the delusion that Germany is being sub
jected TO a strict blockade, while the
very reverse is the fact. Food and raw
materials. the paper says, still are being
imported into Germany.
The Graphic similarly complains that
while the British cabinet hesitates a large
part of Belgium has been reduced to semi
starvation by German military pressure.
Scandinavian Conference.
A dispatch to the Exchange Tele-
graph Company from Copenhagen says
that the conference between the repre-
sentatives of the Scandinavian govern
ments over the situation created by
Germany's submarine blockade was be-
gun yesterday, but that the questions
at issue were so important that 1t was
prolonged until today.
The dispatch adds that 1t Is under
stood that the Scandinavian countries
are not planning TO act in concert with
Holland and the United States, as the
tirely different from those of Norway,
Sweden and Denmark.
Belridge Now in Thames.
The Norwegian tank -teamer Bel
ridge, which was torpedoed several
days ago near Folkestone by German
submarine, is now safelv anchored in
the Thames unloading her cargo. The
Norwegian legation in London declares
that her cargo was consigned to the
Dutch government. thus disposing of
the rumor that it was intended for
Germany.
Disaster has overtaken two other
Norwegian steamships in the last few
days. The Nordykn went down in the
Baltic last week. probably as result
of striking mine OF being torpedoed,
and the Cuba, a freighter bound from
London to Rotterdam, sank February
81 in the North sea after collision.
Norway Asks Data.
A Copenhagen dispatch to the Ex-
change Telegraph Company says that
the Norwegian government has in
structed the Norwegian minister at
Buenos Aires to forward details Of
the sinking Of the bark Samantha.
Recently the German steamship Hol-
ger arrived at Buenos Aires with the
passengers and crews taken from sew
eral steamships and sailing vessels
which had been sunk by the German
auxiliary cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm in
the south Atlantic. One of the ships
the marine registers have no record,
and ii is presumed that the vessel in
question was the Samantha, which was
in those waters about that time.