Lives of the First World War

known 23rd January 1918

Mr. Houston, in the House of Commons this afternoon, asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he could now make any statement regarding the sinking of a steamship in the mouth of the Mersey on the morning of December 28, with the loss of 42 lives out of the 43 on board, including some 19 pilots and number of apprentices. Dr. Macnamara, in reply, said:- This vessel, I regret to say, struck a mine. There is no doubt that it was laid the same night a few hours previously. Two lives were saved out of 43, which included 16 pilots. Mr. Houston – Is he not aware that according to the evidence of men in a vessel close alongside, the ship was torpedoed, and not mined; and is it not a fact that one of these pilots, Alfred Davies, who was rescued, died in hospital, and that a military funeral was accorded him, so as to suppress public opinion? The Speaker. – The hon. member ought to give notice of that question. Mr. Houston, who had several questions to the First Lord as to the number of vessels which had been torpedoed, giving particulars of several cases, asked whether the Admiralty were responsible for trying to suppress his source of information. Dr. Macnamara said he knew nothing of the matter. Perhaps the hon. member would let him have particulars. Mr. Houston. – I propose to deal direct with the Prime Minister on that. Dr. Macnamara, replying again to Mr. Houston, said the Admiralty had had no information of the loss of a steamer which sailed from Liverpool for Waterford on December 15, or the loss of a steamer from Waterford to Liverpool, which sailed on December 17. Dr. Macnamara, replying, said a refrigerator steamer was torpedoed on January 20. Mr. Houston asked whether, seeing that a large number of vessels had been sunk at this particular spot, the Admiralty would alter the instructions to ship-masters to converge on it, and fall right into a submarine post? Can the right hon. gentleman say why that submarine had not been dealt with? Dr. Macnamara said he could not explain why the submarine had not been dealt with. If the hon. member had any views on the matter, the Admiralty would be glad if he would place them before the board. Mr. Houston – I have done so – in sixteen pages of letter paper. THE WAYS OF THE CENSORSHIP. The Press Censor still forbids publication of an account of a shipping disaster at the mouth of the Mersey of nearly a month ago, which everybody knows about and has talked about. Mr. Houston mentions all the material facts in a question he intends to ask in the House to-day, as reported in our columns, the text of which was published in many newspapers yesterday, yet as last night our renewed request to publish the story was refused by the Censor.

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