Crittenden record-press., 1918-07-11

night of March 2O-21 19lD The tOrped0ng OF
this hospital ship is included In the list Of achieve
nents claimed by U-boats as reported in the Ger.
man wireless press message yesterday"
The Asturias didn't sink, although 43 died In
the tragedy, including two women, and 80 were
Injured The torpedo rendered her helpless as
her rudder had been carried away. Captain Laws
drove the sinking ship for shoai water. As she
was of the rocky shore OF Cornwall II he did sue
ceed In bleaching her the chances Of saving the ship
would be slight. All Captain Laws thought Of was
to get her somewhere where she wouldn't sink
her wounded had been removed.
As luck would have It, the Asturas took matters
into her own hands and In the darkness missed
reef. rounded a headland and brought up on one
OF the few sandy beaches to be found along the
Cornwall shore line. After three years In COM
mand Of her. several times week crossing the
Channel and running the risk Of mines, as well as
seeing the agony Of human beings he transported
Captain Laws like many other hospital ship skip
pers collapsed He's made several attempts to 90
TO sea again. but his nerve Is gone.
The nation responsible for the murder Of Nurse
Cavel accepted the Asturlas incident with COM
posure. III not with satisfaction. For the Germans
stated bandly
ut would. moreover, be remarkable that the
English In the case Of the Asturias should have
nbstained from the customary procedure of using
hospital ships for the transport Of troops and mu-
nitons"
The Asturias was returning from France. That
Is sufficient answer TO Germany.
Ten days later the Gloucester Castle was tor
pedoed without warning IN midchannel All the
wounded were successfully removed from the shin
and the casualties were five medical officers, nine
nursing sisters and IS Royal Army Medical corps
men. On April IL the Berlin official wireless again
cynically published notification that the Gouces.
ter Castle was torpe4oed by a U-boat thus re-
moving any possible doubt In the matter
Then on April IL the hospital ships Donegal and
Lanfranc were sunk by U-boats. The British nd
mirnlty announced:
'The Donegal carried slightly wounded cases,
all British. or these. 20 men. rs well as 10 OF the
crew. are missing and presumed drowned The
Lanfranc In addition to 234 wounded British ofi
GERS and men, carried 167 wounded German pris-
oners medical personnel OF % and crew Of
l23 or these the following are missing and pre-
sumed drowned
Two wounded British officers.
Eleven wounded British, other ranks
zone II. A. NJ. c. stan.
Five crew.
Two wounded German officers.
Thirteen wounded German, other ranks.
"one hundred and hfty.two wounded German
prisoners were rescued by British patrol boats nj
the imminent risk of being themselves torpedoed.' "
And then on the 26th of February they sank tho
Glenart Castle, bound from France to England
Yes she carried troops. but they ay In white cots
within the Glennrt Castles white sides. Nice chap
Fritz for he'd agreed to respect hospital ships II
they carried n Spanish officer TO guarantee their
Red Cross mission. The Glenart had her Spaniard
and he too was nearly drowned In the catastrophe
akn,,t tl,n Att hat
gave an American destroyer. at the risk Of being
herself torpedoed, chance TO do rescue work
which makes the blood run faster In ones veins.
The sea was vile and the destroyer couldn't launch
boat. Yet as she passed men cnglng TO wreck
sge-mcn too weak TO catch the lifc.lines thrown
TO thcm-American seamen Jumped overheard
into Icy water. swan TO the poor devils and held
them up I'll they could be rescued. Mr.. Daniels
I'm glad to say. has ittingly rewarded such gal
lantry.
And shortly after the Glenart Castle the bl,
Llandovey Castle, on mercy bent. was torpedoed
She also carried Spanish officer. I have a lette
from an officer ON the hospital ship Arnguaya
which has been transferred from passenger ant
food service 70 the work Of mercy to replace los
hospital ships aud he tells me his ship Is most par
ticunr about living up 10 the Geneva convention
No nurses arc carried except those who make tn
round trip between England and Canada For 4
Canadian nurses worked their passage homo Ger
many might say they were troopo