Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-07-11

night of March 2O-21 C1917). The torpedoing of
this hospital ship is included in the list of achieve
ments claimed by U-boats 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 helpless.
her rudder had been carried away. Captain Laws
drove the sinking ship for shoal water. AS she
off the rocky shore of Cornwall if he did sue
cehd 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 ere
her wounded had been removed.
As luck would have it, the Asturias took matters
into her own hands and in the darkness missed
reef rounded headand and brought up 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, 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 go
to sea again. but his nerve is gone.
The nation responsible for the murder of Nurse
Cavell accepted the Asturias incident with COM
posure. if not with satisfaction. For the Germans
stated blandy:
1T would moreover be remarkable that the
English in the of the Asturias should have
abstafned from the customary procedure of using
hospital ships for the transport of troops and mu-
ntions."
The Asturias 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 ship
and the casualties were five medical officers nine
nursing sisters and 50 Royal Army Medical corps
On April IL Berlin official wireless again
cynicaly published notification that the GIouces-
ter Castle was torpedoed by U-boat thus re-
moving any possible doubt in the matter
Then on April II the hospital ships Donegal and
Lanfranc were sunk by U-boats. The British ad-
miralty announced:
THE Donegal carried slightly wounded cases.
all British OF these. 20 men, S well as II of the
crew, are missing and presumed drowned The
Lanfranc, in addition to 234 wounded British Off
GERS and men, carried 167 wounded German pris-
oners, medical personnel of so and q crew of
I25- or these the following missing and pre-
sumed drowned:
1.-Two wounded British officers
Eleven wounded British other rank-
lone r. A. NJ. G. staff
Five crew.
1.-Two wounded German officers.
Thirteen wounded German, other ranks.
Zone hundred and ffty-two wounded German
prisoners were rescued by British patrol boats al
the imminent risk of being themselves torpedoed-'
And then the 26th of February they sank the
G1enart Castle, bound from France to England
Yes, carried troops, but they lay white cots
within the Genart Castles white sides. Nice chap
Fritz, he'd agreed respect hospital ships ID
they carried Spanish officer to guarantee theiI
Red Cross mission. The Glenart had her Spapard
and he too nearly drowned in the catastrophe
One pleasing thing about the tragedy was that II
gave an American destroyer. at the risk of beins
herself torpedoed, chance do a rescue work
which makes the blood run faster in ones veins
The was vile and the destroyer couldn't Launch
a boat. Yet as she passed men clinging to wreck
age-men too weak to catch the life-Iines thrown
to them-American seamen jumped overheard
into icy water, swan to the poor devils and held
them up till they could be rescued. Mr.. Daniels
I'm glad to say. has httingiy rewarded such gal
lantry.
And shortly after the GIenart Castle the hi,
Llandovey Castle, mercy bent, was torpedoed
She also carried Spanish officer have a lette,
from an officer on the hospital ship Araguaya
which has been transferred from passenger and
food service to the work of mercy to replace lost
hospital ships and he tells his ship most mar
hcular about living up to the Geneva convention
No nurses are carried except those who make tht
round trip between England and Canada. For d
Canadian nurses worked their passage home Ger
many might say they we're troops