The Washington herald., 1917-06-25
sink HOSPITAL ship
But PROTECT MAILS
Teuton U-Boats Conduct Ruthless
Warfare in Mediterranean.
BY CAMILLO CIANFARRA.

International News STAN CoTreSpondent-
Rome, June "a The Mediterranean
Austrian submarine activity.
According to Italian shipping lead
ers, half the allied tonnage destroyed
in April was lost in tae Mediterra-
mean Sea. 1t consisted chiefly of large
transports laden with coal and pro-
visions for Egyptian and MeSopota-
mian army bases.
The people of Italian sea towns tell
wonderful stories of submarine activ.
ity and exploits along the Tyrhenean
coasts. Submarine commanders seem
to be extremely fond OF paying un-
expected brief visits to towns nestled
among rocks and reefs and almost
invisible from the sea. AS soon as
the commander of the nearest tor
pedo base answers the wireless, In
forming him that the enemy has ar
rived, the commander of the SUBJ
marine. WHO in the meanwhile has
tried his craftsmanship against the
local bell tower or railroad station
or has sunk whatever sailing craft
happen to be in the harbor, saluteS
and disappears below the surface.
Leave HnrbOr with Transport.
Sometimes, other towns relate. n
submarine follows, undetected, a con-
voyed transport till within a short
distance from the home port, remain
ing. When everything is quiet and
the convoy has left and the crew
of the transport feels safe within the
friendly harbor, the submarine pops
up and the ship is sunk.
One of the spots infested by Uboats
in Italy is the Straits Of Messina.
Since Italy intervened in the con-
fiict the ferryboats carrying to Mes
sina the continental trains. running
to Syracuse and Palermo have been
manned by picked crews from the
Italian navy and are armed with
always on the lookout for a favora.
BILE opportunity. Whether this opportu-
nifty has ever presented itself only
the Italian admiralty Is in a position
to say with accuracy.
Syracuse, which is the home port of
every ship plying between Italy and
| Tripoli. has had quite a different ex-
perience. The entrance to the har-
Dor is never free from mines, and,
now and then, notwithstanding the
steady work of the Italian mine dredg-
er, ship is towed back to port either
in sinking or greatly damaged con-
dition.
Shot illustrates Boat Raid.
Several days ago an Austrian SUBJ
| marine appeared of Portoferralo,
Elba, and started to corral all the
fishing and sailing vessels engaged in
the coastwise trade. Apparently the
submarine felt absolutely safe and in
! less than an hour eight or nine crafts
| had been collected and the order given
to their crews to take to the life
| boats.
The panic-stricken sailors were
watching with tears in their eyes the
preparations the submarine was max
ing to sink the boats, when all of a
sudden report rang out and a shell
splashed in the water only a short
| distance from the raider.
The commander seemed puzzled, but
a second shot sent him scurrying be-
low deck and soon after his boat dived
and was never seen again.
But what occurs along the 5000
| miles OF Italian coast is nothing COM
pared to what happens around Malta,
which is England's main station on
the route to Port Said and Saloniki,
and England's most powerful torpedo
base. Apparently the German admir-
atty Is determined to spare no effort
to prevent the revictualling of the
English armies operating in Asia and
the allied army at Salonilxi, as no
less than twenty submarines are now
stationed between the southern coast
OF Sardinia and the Eastern Aegean.
Mail Boats Not Sunk.
While an Austrian submarine COM
mander is ready to sink anything from
oh OehSOihS SHiBEdnI steamer, with
women and children on board to a
Red Cross hospital ship, yet one
that is the mail-boat plying between
the Continent and Sardinia.
Various reasons have been offered
| to explain this fact. One is that, as
Sardinia is the concentration camp
for the Austrian civilian population
that preferred to be interned instead
of returning to Austria, the Austrian
admiralty has instructed the subma.
rine commanders to let the mail
boats alone because they bring the
Austrian prisoners mail.
Another story is that one day the
commander Of an Austrian submarine,
speaking italian. landed in a desert
ed small Sandman port and bought
fruit and vegetables. He was recog-
nized just before departing, but in
stead of shooting him the mayor of
the town preferred to warn. him not
TO sink the mail-steamers taking
home Sandman soldiers, as for every
soldier drowned i've Austrian prison.
/. ers would be disemboweled. And 4
Sandman Is known to keep a promise