Crittenden record-press., 1918-07-11

speaking TO n merchant ship captain
about 1t and asked him why he had given up the
command Of n certain British hospital ship "A berth
which TO my landsmnn's eyes had seemed 10 be the
easiest on the sen today In spite Of instances like
the Rewa
He didn't look Mt me ms he answered. He looked
Tar out through his cabin port at the tower OF the
Wcoiworth building. He finally told me that In
spite of the danger It was easier on him to take
merchant ship or n transport through the war zone
than TO have his heart torn asunder by the suffer
Ing OF humanity he had seen on hospital ships;
men gnssed and writing In agony; men wounded
or mutllnted out OF sheer dcytry. Frightfulness--
waste OF manhood because the kaiser wanted TO
dominate the world-thnt's what he saw ON n hos.
pltal ship and when his ship OF mercy. like the
kewn. was torpedoed without warning and he man.
aged TO beach her before she sank he simply went
to pieces. ms have many hospital ship commanders
before him.
Every hospital ship sunk means that the allies
must replace II with ship which has been carry
Ing food and munitions Tha, is Gcrmanys game.
Finding her submarine warfare was not succeeding
ns she had hoped, she lessons the tonnage Of her
enemies by foulcr means still and covers up her
dastnrdiy motives by officially saying:
THE German government can longer suffer
that the British government should forward troops
and munitions 10 the main theatcr OF war 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 line
drawn from Marlborough Head TO Terschellng on
the one hand aud Ushant and Lands End on the
other. II In this sea zone after the explry Of the
stated time any enemy hospital ship Is encountered
II will be considered n vessel OF war and Il will
be attacked without further ceremony"
And knowing full well that no allied hospital
n IA
anything which they shouldn't In their garb OF
mercy. Germany has lessened tonnage by sinking
the hospital ship Britannia 10000 tons). Asturlas
Oi.i0O tonS). Gloucester Castle $3.50 tons).
Donegal C.o97 tons). Salta (7.2s4 tons), Lanfranc
(6275 toir), Dover Castle (S.260 tons), Rewa
(126I tons). Glcnur, Castle 5000 tons), Llan.
doyey Castle 10000 tons), and Others amounting
to over 200.OOO tons.
Germany has already begun paving the way 10
lessen American tonnage by sinking our hospital
ships whenever we get any On May l, 1918. she
officially notified the world that
American aylntors are crossing TO Europe ns
members Of the Red Cross on hospital ships. This
misuse OF the Red Cross appears from documentary
evidence found on American avlators 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 as member OF
the American ambulance for France.
prisoners openly admit that II Is the general
practice for aviators TO enter American ambulance
service for their passage to Europe and to cross on
hospital ships. After they are landed In France
they Immediately transfer to the automobile corps
and thence Into the air service.
The captured aviator referred to had. however
transferred directly from the ambulance service
into the air service. Another carried certificate
IN which the dates Of several transfers were ON
clally indicated
Except for the naval hospital ship Solace and
hospi,al yacht Surf attached TO our feet. and two
Ward liners being converted into the hospital ships
Comfort aud Mercy solely for the use OF the navy
and At this writing not yet In service. the United
States has had no hospital ships at oil. Conse'
ouentiy II would be impossible for American avia.
tors TO cross on such ships Germany states they
have. THE avlntors which Germany refers to as
having crossed TO France for Red Cross work
crossed ~ their own expense on regular passenger