The Raymer enterprise., 1918-06-27

night of March 20-2l (191). 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 Asturins 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 shoal water. As she
off the rocky shore of Cornwall, II he did sue
ed in beaching 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 1t, the Asturias took matters
into her own hands and in the darkness missed a
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 60
to sea again. but his nerve Is gone
The nation responsible for the murder of Nurse
Cavell accepted the Asturias Incident with COM
posure. II not with satisfaction. For the Germans
stated blandly:
ut would. moreover, be remarkable that the
English In the case of the AsurIas should have
abstalned from the customary procedure of using
hospital ships for the transport of troops and m-
nltons."
The Asturlas was returning from France That
Is sufficient answer to Germany.
Ten days later the Gloucester Castle was tor
pedoed without warning In mdchannel. All the
wounded were successfully removed from the shin
and the casualties were five medical officers. nine
nursing sisters and 3S Royal Army Medical corps
men, On April IL the Berlin official wireless again
cyncaly published notification that the Glouces.
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:
"Ihe Donegal carried slightly wounded cases
all British OF these, 20 men, as well as IL of the
crew, are missing and presumed drowned The
Lanfranc in addition to 234 wounded British Off
GERS and men. carried 1G7 wounded German prIs-
oners, medical personnel of 81 and a crew OF
l23. or these the following are missing and pre-
sumed drowned:
1.-TWO wounded British officers
Eleven wounded British, other ranks.
Zone Il. 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 ut
the imminent risk of being themselves torpedoed"
And then on the 26th of February they sank the
Glenart Castle bound from France to England.
Yes she carried troops, but they lay In white cots
within the Genart Castles white sides. Nice chap,
Fritz, for he'd agreed to respect hospital ships II
they carried Spanish officer to guarantee their
Red Cross mission. The Genart had her Spaninrd
and he too was nearly drowned In the catastrophe
One pleasing thing about the tragedy was that 4,
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
a boat Yet Us she passed men clingng to wreck.
age-men too weak to catch the lfeines 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 fttlngly rewarded such gal.
lantry.
And shortly after the Glenart Castle the biz
Landoyey Castle, on mercy bent. was torpedoed.
She also carried Spanish officer. have letter
from an officer on the hospital ship Araguayn,
which has been transferred from passenger and
food service to the work OF mercy to replace lost
hospital Ships and he tells his ship Is most par
ticular about living up to the Geneva convention
No nurses are carried except those who make ths
round trip between England and Canada For II
Canadian nurses worked their passage home Ger
many might say they were tioops.