Crittenden record-press., 1918-07-11

ships before We entered the war and were driving
neutral ambulances.
When we entered the war, naturally they weren't
going 10 return TO the United States to enlist when
they could enlist In their country's military forces
in France and get at Furnishing the Hun earlier
than the fellows at home. These captured Ameri-
can ayators Germany speaks about apparently had
on them certificates OF service they had rendered
while driving American neutral nmbulances
As usual Germany has distorted the truth. In
this instance she simply wishes to give sembance
Of for the attempts she Is going TO make to
lessen the number OF ships available TO transport
our boys overseas. because every hospital ship
sunk has to be replaced with schne ship In military
or civil service.
The first hospital ship the Huns sank was the
Portugal. flying the Russian flag. She was anchored
on Rick. Black sea port when at about eight
O'Clock on the morning OF March H. 1915
periscope was seen approaching. The Portugal had
wounded on board-simply her hospital staff.
which included many nuns and her full crew. The
Russian government had notified the central pow
ers that the Portugal was a hospital ship and had
obtained from them n recognition OF her status.
She wns properly marked under the ruling OF both
the Hague and Geneva conventions.
OF course. nobody thought for one instant that
the submarine would attack the Portugal. and
there was no panic until, when about 200 feet away.
the submarine fired n torpedo which missed Its
mark. Then the beaOt circled arouLd the anchored
ship ~ mercy and fred second torpedo at close
range. The second MISSILE struck the Portugal In
the engine room. There was terrific explosion
within her and the hut b.oke In two.
The loss Of life on the Portugal was II nuns.
who were acting as nurses: "a others OF the ked
Cross STAFF as well MS 81 OF the Russian crew and
10 OF the French. totalng ~. all OF whom were
ruthlessly murdered without any reason whatso-
ever.
The next torpedoing Of note was that OF the
new White Star liner Britannia. the largest British
shin af,ont and one which the Germans wished TO
remove from competing with their ships =, the
end OF the war The Britannia was sunk IN the
Egrnn sen. anl that hut ~ lives were lost out Of
the llO0 wounded and large crew she had aboard
is remarkable, considering she went down In 80
minutes A German newspaper, the Keller Zei-
tung was the first 10 admit publicly that torpedo
and not mine had caused the disaster. and fur
ther stated:
"The Britannia was transporting fresh troops for
our enemies II she had not been doing so our sub
marine would never OF course, have torpedoed
her"
On November "a. 1916 shortly after the Britain.
mic was sunk the British admiralty published
complete list OF all persons on board. There we're
no troops. Germany continued her propaganda to
dull the mind Of the world as To her real intent
In sinking hospital ships by asserting that she had
conclusive proof that In several instances enemy
hospital ships had often been mlsused for the trans
port Of troops and munitions Under the prihci-
pies Of the Geneva convention governing maritime
war bellgerents have the right to stop and search
hospital ships. Germany never utilized this right.
Evidently II was easier to sink the ship outright
and trust the world TO believe the imperial Ger
man word
The big Asturias, commanded by Captain Laws,
known TO many Americans who travelled to Ber-
muda, had her first experience with U-boat on
February I. 1915 She was the star hospital ship
OF the feet. for at that time neither the Britannia
nor Aquitnna was doing hospital work. Only the
prompt action Of the second officer In turning the
ship as he saw the torpedo saved her and the
scores Of wounded she had on board. Having
made one miss at the Asturtas. the Germans kept
at It I'll they finally got her. The British nd.
nlralty announced the following
"The British hospital ship Asturias, while stean''
Ing with NIL navigating lights and with all the
proper distinguishing Rcd Cross signs brilliantly
illuminated. was torpcdccd without warning on the