From the News

Dated: July 3, 1918

LLANDOVERY CASTLE OUTRAGE.: NO MORE SURVIVORS.

BERLIN PREPARING EXCUSES.

The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement:

The area between the spot where the Llandovery Castle was sunk by a German submarine on Thursday last and the South-West Irish Coast has now been thoroughly searched by two groups of H.M. ships, in addition to H.M.S. Lysander, and only a little wreckage and one empty boat has been found. It may, therefore, be assumed that there are no more survivors from the Llandovery Castle.

Amsterdam, July 2.—Berlin is already preparing the way for German excuses regarding the torpedoing of the Llandovery Castle. While making no specific reference to this disaster, the semi-official German agency has telegraphed abroad a quotation from the Madrid newspaper Correspondencia Militar, as published in the Cologne Gazette, maintaining, despite the Spanish Foreign Minister's declarations to the contrary, that the British authorities continue to make improper use of the Red Cross flag.—Reuter.

INDIGNATION IN AMERICA.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

WASHINGTON, JULY 1. Not since Germany's declaration of ruthless submarine warfare, which forced the United States into the war, has Washington been swept with such a wave of horror and indignation as by the sinking of the hospital ship LlandoveryCastle by a German submarine. The Americans, however, are not surprised at this new outrage, but the German charges that American airmen are conveyed in hospital ships in order to ensure their safe arrival arouses the bitterest resentment. When a German newspaper suggested that the American hospital ship Comfort, which was sent to France without a naval convoy, might transport American airmen, Mr. Lansing declared that Germany was seeking to justify- herself in advance for any outrage that might be committed against the hospital ships of the Allies. The feeling hero is that his prophecy has been eloquently borne out by this latest crime.

DUTCH VIEW OF THE CRIME.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
THE HAGUE, JULY 2. The Handelsblad, commenting on the sinking of the Llandovery Castle, says :-

Again a hospital ship has been torpedoed, again a repulsive crime has been committed, which- is not only against international law, but a deed which arouses horror because it conflicts with every idea of humanity. Is this intentional? Were orders given by authority to torpedo, in contravention of every convention, ships which bear clear signs that they are manned according to the Geneva Convention, which was recognized by all the Powers? Is the story that hospital ships are used for the transport of ammunition or troops so generally accepted that every hospital ship is already doomed in advance?

Or is it an act of a submarine commander become unaccountable in his actions through war, and through his inhuman work? The first appears to be the case. Thinking that American flight officers were on board the Llandovery Castle, the submarine commander, without closer investigation, without ascertaining the accuracy of his opinion, sank the hospital ship.

There is no excuse for such a deed. The shocking nature of such actions on the part. of submarine commanders has frequently been pointed out, and frequently severely condemned - and yet they continue, with their Government's approval, or at any rate without anything being said against it from the German side in the shape of an open disavowal of their unholy action.

In his latest speech, Herr von Kuhlmann spoke of the spirit of distrust at present existing and rendering all rapprochement impossible. He hoped-that soon a certain degree of confidence in each other's chivalry and decency might be restored. How is that possible with such unchivalrous and scandalous deeds, with the betrayal of every idea of loyalty to humanity, to say nothing of the violation of treaties concluded and signed? To expect this chivalry and decency from the opposite party, but to tread it under foot oneself, is not the way to realize Herr von Kuhlmann's wish. The beginning of improvement is to contribute to it oneself by condemning unchivalrous deeds and by openly expressing indignation at them. To defend murder, to order or to approve of a brutal attack on non-combatants is as worthy of condemnation as to commit murder - unless, indeed, there be two moralities, one for individual and one for political use.

FIVE YEARS' MORE BOYCOTT.

Mr. Havelock Wilson, president of the National Sailors and Firemen's Union, yesterday received a telegram from Mr. C. McVey, the district secretary of the union at Liverpool, stating that at a meeting of 600 seamen and stewards held at Liverpool yesterday the fallowing resolution was adopted

"That this meeting of Liverpool seamen and stewards strongly protest against the latest crime of the Huns in sinking the Llandovery Castle hospital ship without warning, and we hereby request Mr. Havelock Wilson to add another five years to the boycott of Germany fur this most diabolical and cowardly murder of our brothers on the sea."

Mr. Bonner Law, in his speech at the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commercial Conference at the House of Lords yesterday (reported in page 8) referred to the outrage. The action of the Germans was, he said, contrary even to the principles which they now professed.