Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 168, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1918 — Page 2

BERING on the RED CROSS

By RALPH E. CROPLEY.

In New York Tribune. ECENTLY we have had another rec- ■ ord o£ German barbarity In the tor- ■ pedolng of the hospital ship Rewa, lif made dramatic because the missile of destruction struck her where the red cross of mercy was painted on L her side, as if it were a bull’s-eye for just such murderous shots. I was speaking to a merchant ship captain about It and asked him*why he had given up the •command of a certain British hospital ship, a berth which to my landsman’s eyes had seemed to be the easiest on the sea today in spite of instances like the Rewa. He didn’t look at me as he answered. He looked afar out through his cabin port at the tower of the Woolworth building. He finally told me that in epite of the danger it was easier on him to take a merchant ship or a transport through the war zone than to have his heart torn asunder by the suffering of humanity he had seen on hospital ships; men gassed and writhing in agony; men wounded iot mutilated out of sheer deviltry. Frightfulness—watte of manhood because the kaiser wanted to dominate the world —that’s what he saw on a hosiPital ship; and when his ship of mercy, like the [Rewa, was torpedoed without warning and he managed 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 a ship which has been carry-, ing food and munitions. That is Germany’s game. IFinding her submarine warfare was not succeeding as she had hoped, she lessens the tonnage of her (enemies by fouler means still and covers up her dastardly motives by officially saying: "The German government can no longer suffer ’that the British government should forward troops and munitions to the main theater of war under icover of the Red Cross, and it therefore declares jthat from now on no enemy hospital ship will be allowed in the sea zone comprised between a line drawn from Elamborough Head to Terechelllng on jthe one hand and Ushant and Land’s End on the •other. If in this sea zone after the expiry of the istated time any enemy hospital ship is encountered jit will be considered as a vessel of war and it will (be attacked without further ceremony." ' And knowing full well that no allied hospital (ships wer% carrying either troops, munitions or anything which they shouldn’t in their garb of imercy, Germany has lessened tonnage by sinking the hospital ship Britannic (50,000 tons), Asturias (11,400 tons), Gloucester Castle (7,999 tons), Donegal (1,997 tons), Salta (7,284 tons), Lanfranc (QJ275 tons), Dover Castle (8,260 tons), Rewa i (7,287 tons), Glenart Castle (9,000 tons), Llanjdovey Castle (10,000 tons), and others amounting (to over 200,000 tons.

Germany has already begun paving the way to Hessen American tonnage by sinking our hospital phips whenever we get any. On May 1, 1918, she ipfflHally notified the world that “American aviators are crossing to Europe as (members of the Bed Cross on hospital ships. Thi9 (misuse of the Bed Cross appears from documentary evidence found on American aviators who have been shot down. An American brought down in the region of the army of General von Hutier carried a pass which referred to him as a member of the American ambulance for France. Mprlsoners openly admit that it 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 thene&ihto the air service. "The captured avtator'referred to had, however, ♦transferred directly from the ambulance service uto the air service. Another carried a certificate ,t which the dates of several transfers were officially indicated." ~~ Except for the naval hospital ship Solace and (hospital yacht Surf attached to our fleet, and two liners being converted into the hospital ships (Comfort and Mercy, solely for the use of the navy (sad at tb'» writing not yet In service, the United 'States has had no hospital ships at aIL Consequently it would be Impossible for American aviators to cross on such ships as Germany states they have. The aviators Which Germany refers to as having crossed to France for Bed Cross work

Manu ships bearing nurses and wounded .soldiers have been targets for the German U-Boats.

ships before we entered the war and were driving neutral ambulances. When we entered the war, naturally they weren’t going to return to the United States to enlist when they could enlist in their country’s military forces in France and get at punishing the Hun earlier than the fellows at home. These captured American aviators 'Germany speaks about apparently had on them certificates of service they had rendered while driving American neutrstl ambulances. As usual, Germany has distorted the truth. In this Instance she simply wishes to give a semblance of excuse 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 some ship in military or civil service. The first hospital ship the Huns sank was the Portugal, flying the Russian flag. She was anchored off Rizek, a Black sea port, when at about eight o’clock on thp morning of March 17, 1916, a periscope was seen approaching. The Portugal had no wounded on board —simply her hospital staff, whieh included many nuns and her full crew. The Russian government had notified the central powers that the Portugal was a hospital ship and had obtained from them a recognition of her status. She was 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 a torpedo which missed its mark. Then the beast circled arout.d the anchored ship of mercy and fired a second torpedo at close range. The second missile struck the Portugal in the engine room. There was a terrific explosion within her and the hu'J broke in two. The loss of life on the Portugal was 21 nuns, who were acting as nurses; 24 others of the Red Cross staff, as well as 21 of the Russian crew and 19 of the French, totaling 85, all of whom were ruthlessly murdered without any reason whatsoever. The next torpedoing of note was that of the new White Star liner Britannic, the largest British ship afloat and one which the Germans wished to remove from competing with tlielr ships at the end of the war. The Britannic was sunk in the Egean sea, and that but 50 lives were lost out of the 1,100 wounded and large crew she had aboard is remarkable, considering she went down in 53 minutes. A German newspaper, the Kieler Zeitung, was the first to admit publicly that a torpedo and not a mine had caused the disaster, and further stated: "The Britannic was transporting fresh troops for our enemies. If she had not been doing so oar 8 “"; marine would never, of course, have torpedoed her/* On November 24, 1916, shortly after the .Britannic was sunk, the British admiralty published a complete list of all persons on board. There were 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 misused for the transport of troops and munitions. Under the principles of the Geneva convention governing maritime war belligerents have the right to stop and search hospital ships. Germany never utilized this right. Evidently It was easier to sink the ship outright and trust the world to believe the imperial German word. The big Asturias, commanded by Captain Laws, known to many Americans who traveled to Bermuda, bad her first experience with a U-boat on February X 1915. She was the star hospital ship of-the-fleet, for at that time neither the Britannic nor Aquitania was doing hospital work. Only the prompt action of the second officer In turning the ship as he saw the torpedo saved her and th« scores of wounded she had on board. Having made one miss at the Asturias, the Germans kept at it till they finally got her. The British admiralty announced the following: "The British hospital ship Asturias, while steaming with all navigating lights and with all the proper distinguishing Red Cross signs brilliantly illuminated, was torpedoed without warning on the

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

night of March 20-21 (1917). The torpedoing of this hospital ship is Included in the list of achievements claimed by U-boats as reported In the German wireless press, message yesterday.” The Asturias didn’t sink, although 43 died in the tragedy, Including two women, and 39 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 was off the rocky shore of Cornwall, if he did succeed 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-it, 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 hi command of her, several times a 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 skippers, 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 composure, If not with satisfaction. For the Germans stated blandly: “It would, moreover, be remarkable that the English in the case of the Asturias should have abstained from the customary procedure of using hospital ships for the transport of troops and munitions." The Asturias was returning from France. That Is a sufficient answer to Germany. Ten days later the Gloucester Castle was torpedoed without warning in midchannel. All t(ie wounded were successfully removed from .the ship and the casualties were five medical officers, nine nursing sisters and 38 Royal Army Medical corps men. On April 11 the Berlin official wireless again cynically published a notification that the Gloucester Castle was torpedoed by- a U-boat, thus removing any possible doubt in the matter. Then on April 17 the hospital ships Donegal and Lanfranc were sunk by U-boats. The British admiralty announced: “The Donegal carried slightly wounded cases, all British. Of these, 29 men, as well as 12 of the crew, are missing and presumed drowned. The Lanfranc, in addition to 234 wounded British officers and men, carried 167 wounded German prisoners, a medical personnel of 52 "and a crew of 123. Of these the following are missing and presumed drowned: "Two wounded British officers. “Eleven wounded British, other ranks. “One R. A. M. C. staff. “Five crew. “Two wounded Germain officers. “Thirteen wounded German, other ranks. “One hundred and fifty-two wounded German prisoners were rescued by British patrol boats at 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 tropps, but they lay, in white cots within the Glenart Castle’s white sides. Nice chap, Fritz, for he’d agreed to respect hospital ships if they carried a Spanish officer to guarantee their Red Cross mission. The Glenart had her Spaniard and he too was nearly drowned in the catastrophe. One pleasing thing about the tragedy was that it gave an American destroyer, at the risk of being herself torpedoed, a chance to do a rescue work which makes the blood run faster in one’s veins. The sea was vile and the destroyer couldn’t launch a boat Yet as she passed men clinging to wreckage—men too weak to catch the life-lines thrown to them —American seamen Jumped overboard Into icy water, swam to the poor devils and held them up till they could be rescued. Mr. Daniels, I’m glad to say, has fittingly rewarded such gallantry. And shortly after the Glenart Castle the big Xlandovey Castle, on mercy bent, was torpedoed. She also carried a Spanish officer. I have a letter from an officer on the hospltal ship Araguaya, which has been transferred from passenger and food service to the work of mercy to replace lost hospital ships, and he tells me his ship Is most particular abont living up to the Geneva convention. No nurses are carried except those who make the round trip between England and Canada. For if Canadian nurses worked their passage home Germany mig|it say they were troops.

DAY OF WAISTCOAT

Paris. Sketches Predict Advance of the Long Garment. Promises to Be Dominant Feature of New Autumn Clothes Which Will Be Introduced in August. Last January, the women in Paris wore waistcoats of fur, velvet, knitted wool and dyed homespun that reached from the collar bone to the knees. The heads of dressmaking houses, who are carefully watched wherever they go, contributed to the fashion for these accessories by placing them In their own suits. America introduced few of them, and she did not find even the short waistcoat of last February, a success, declares a writer on fashion topics. It was worn by a few segments of smart women, fashionable and unfashionable, rich and poor, but the ton? waistcoat was treated as an outcast. It was not even recognized. But France persisted and the dressmakers in New York are putting It Into suits and frocks for summer resorts. The prophecy runs that It will be a dominant feature of new autumn clothes. In a large bunch of Paris photographs that have come over, this long waistcoat Is repeated In many fabrics on women who are snapped as they go about their new and active life. The sketches that come over from the big designers as heralds of what will be advanced In August, show the long waistcoat also. It Is made in a different color from the gown; it Is used for protection or for beauty, and although it Is probably taken from the reign of Louis XIV, It has none of the elegance or Jauntiness of Its predecessor. It merely looks warm and comfortable, or gay and colorful. It is the longest waistcoat that has ever been worn by woman. It was matched in length by those worn at the court of the Grand Monarque. Looking at It in Its most essential feature, It is merely another way to straighten the figure. It, therefore, can be adopted by those to whom‘middle age has brought an undesired rotundity. ,

RIBBON FOR DRESS TRIMMING

Many Beautiful Designs Being Effectively Used; Never More Beautiful Than This Year. Ribbon plays an Important part In dress trimmings, accessories, etc., and never have they been more beautiful than they are this year. Many are Interwoven with gold and silver and some are formed almost entirely of dull gold or silver tissue. There are ribbons of satin with paisley spots in old-fashioned tints, and pale taffeta ribbons In rose, mauve and nattier blue, over which are sprinkled at intervals “lucky” lady birds brocaded in dull gold or silver. Striped or checked faille ribbons are extremely fashionable, and among the novelties are ribbons with long weaved fringe at the ends. Various are the ways in which these ribbons are utilized for frock trimmings. They are introduced in the form of inset bands, plaited, shirred or plain, and sometimes as frillings or ruchlngs.

DARK BLUE HELMET TURBAN

Charming enough would be this dainty helmet turban alone, but its designers were not satisfied, so they added the charming summer veil. The hat Is dark blue, covered with a multitude of summer flowers. The same flower motif is carried out’ln the dark blue veil.

USE MADE OF FOOD CARTONS

Oatmeal Containers Easily Transformed Into Attractive Bcrap Baskets for the Table. "Why in the world are you Hooverizing all these oatmeal cartons? I always burn mine,” said the visitor in astonishment as her friend opened a cupboard and disclosed a shelf filled with a collection of oatmeal cartons, the round kind. “I will show you,” said her friend, leading the way Into the living room an object from the table. “What do you think of that? I call It a table scrap basket” “A table scrap basket!” exclaimed the visitor. “What could be more useful and what could be prettier?” “You know,” explained her friend, “I

VOILE AND ORGANDIE FROCK

Of the many varieties In summer frocks this of voile stands out as a pleasing and attractive dress. The frilled organdie breaks the long skirt line, and Is used for collars, cuffs and belt

always save the odd lengths of wall paper left over. There Is a box full in the storeroom. One of these pieces of wall paper Is of a wonderful blue, the j kind with green In It, a mat tint I took a carton, cut and fitted the blue paper to It and pasted it on. Then there was another end of wall paper left over from the dining room frieze. It was a French paper showing a riot of gaily colored birds In a jungle of leaves and flowers. From this paper a rich blue parakeet, balancing on a red stem, was cut and pasted on the darker blue background, taking care to paste it over the seam where the paper on the carton Is Joined together. “Then the edges, top and bottom, were bound with furniture gulmpe which matches the blue paper. For handles I took two large rings such as are used for curtain pulls, covered them with buttonhole stitching In black and hung them on either side of the carton, forming little drop handles. The bottom and inside of the carton were dyed a deep red, harmonizing with the touches of red in the parakeet. Other cartons were covered with a light yellow paper and mounted with brown a^d- yellow birds with gulmpe to match and black handles. "My table scrap baskets, I find, make useful and much-appreciated gifts. And that is why I am Hooverizing the oatmeal cartons.”

SAND PILE KEEPS TOTS BUSY

Affords One of .the Greatest Amusement for Youngsters—Can Model Clay Designs. What else Is there with which little children’s hands can be kept more satlsfactorily occupied than sand? Just turn the children loose In a pile or table of sand, with a spoon, a pall, a cup or anything with which they can dig or shovel. You do not like sand In the house? If you have a suitable place for .it. it need not make any trouble. An old kitchen table turned upside down, with the legs' cut short and put on the other side, makes a good table for sand. A piece of burlap or denim placed under the table keeps the sand from being scattered over the house. With clay, a simple little cradle may be made. The child first rolls a piece into a ball, cuts It in half with a string. One of these halves forms the lotver part of the cradle. The other he cuts in two, using one piece for the top and remodeling the other Into a “ball for baby.” Birds’ nests with eggs can be made with day; also apples, oranges, cfips and saucers, and even animals may be attempted.

Hats Off for Hair.

Keep your hat off as much as possible. Hair cannot lie too easily ox loosely for its own health, and that of the nerves and head. Anything like pressure, heat or Btraln about the head will Injure the brain and the finest parts of the nervous system. Pulling the hair up too tightly from the back of the head and ears will cause the glands of the neck to swell. .Notice what a relief It Is to take all your hairpins out of the hair and let It bang loose for a few hours. If you adopt an easy, artistic and nstnral halr dressing, nervousness will disappear and headaches will be unknown. It is not only beneficial to the growth of the hair, but to the nerves of the head to wear it tied with a ribbon at the nape of the neck, fret of hairpins, whenever possible.