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

speaking to a merchant ship captain
about it and asked him why he had given up the
command of a certain British hospital ship q berth
which to my landsmanS eyes had seemed be the
easiest on the today in spite of instances like
the Rewa.
He didn't look at me as he answered He looked
far out through his cabin port at the tower of the
WoolwOrth building. He finally told me that in
spite of the danger it easier him to take
merchant ship transport through the war zone
than to have his heart torn asunder by the suffer
ing of humanity he had hospital ships
men gassed and writhng in agony; men wounded
or mutlated out of sheer deviltry. Frightfulness-
waste of manhood because the kaiser wanted to
dominate the world-thats what he saw on a hos
pital ship; and when his ship of mercy. like the
Rewa. was torpedoed without warming and he man.
aged to beach her before she sank he simply went
to pieces. as have many hospital ship commanders
before him.
Every hospital ship sunk means that the allies
must replace it with ship which has been carry
ing food and munitions. That is Germanys game
F1ndlnS her submarine warfare succeeding
she had hoped, she lessons the tonnage of her
enemies by fouler means still and covers up her
dastardly motives by officially saying:
THE German government longer suffer
that the British government should forward troops
and munitions to the main theater of under
cover of the Red Cross, and it therefore declares
that from now on no enemy hospital ship will be
allowed in the sea comprised between a line
drawn from Marlborough Head Terschelling on
the one hand and Ushant and Lands End on the
other. If in this sea after the expiry of the
stated time any enemy hospital ship encountered
it will be considered vessel of war and it will
be attacked without further ceremony"
And knowing full well that allied hospital
ships were carrying either troops, munitions
anything which they shouldn't in their garb of
mercy. Germany has lessened tonnage by sinking
the hospital ship Britannia 10000 tons), Asturias
O1,40O tonS). Gloucester Castle 1880 tons),
Donegal Q,997 tons) Salta (7,2S4 tons), Lanfranc
(6275 tons), Dover Castle (S,26O tons), Rewa
C7,267 tons), Glenart Castle $4,000 tons), Liam
dovey Castle 10000 tons). and others amounting
to over 100000 TONS
Germany has already begun paving the way to
lessen American tonnage by sinking hospital
ships whenever get any. On May 1. 1918, she
officially notified the world that
American aviators are crossing to Europe as
members of the Red Cross hospital ships. This
misuse of the Red Cross appears from documentary
evidence found American aviatcrs who have
been shot down. An American brought down in
the region of the army of General Won Hutier car
ried pass which referred to him member of
the American ambulance for France.
Prisoners openly admit that it is the general
practice for aviators to enter American ambulance
service for their passage to Europe and to
hospital ships. After they landed in France
they Immediately transfer to the automobile corps
and thence into the air service.
1.-The captured aviator referred to had, however
transferred directly from the ambulance service
into the air service. Another carried certificate
,--sss of several transfers were off,
ciallv Indicated"
Except for the naval hospital ship Solace and
hospital yacht Surf attached to our fleet, and two
Ward liners being converted into the hospital ships
Comfort and Mercy. solely for the of the navy
and at this writing not yet in service. the United
States has had hospital ships all. Conse-
Quently it would be impossible for American avia-
tors to cross such ships Germany states they
have. The aviators which Germany refers to as
having crossed to France for Red Cross work
crossed at their own expense on regular passenger