London, Feb. 23.
The standard of conduct exhibited by the enemy in warfare in the Mediterranean area, an Admiralty release states today, has undergone a niarked change since it became necessary for Germany to render assistance tu Italy.
On two occasions recently the hospital ship Dorsetshire has been attacked by German aircraft. Fortunately, the ship was not hit on either occasion.
The Dorsetshire was clearly marked as a hospital ship, and her identity as such had been made known to the enemy in accordance with the requirements of international law.
Malta has been subjected to enemy air attacks on many occasions during the first seven months of the war against Italy, but in none of these raids were deliberate attacks made upon hospitals, Since the appearance of German aircraft in the central Mediterranean, Imtarfu hospital at Malta has been deliberately attacked.
It will be recalled that on Jan. 31 a merchant ship evacuating Italian prisoners of war from the Libyan coast was attacked by two enemy aircraft believed to have been German. This attack resulted in a large number of casualties among the Italian prisoners, many being fatally wounded.
When the British army of the Nile captured Benghazi, the Italians ans nounced that they had surrendered the town in order to avoid the possibility of damage to property and the loss of life amongst the civilian population of the town, which inclua+ ed a large number of Italians. Benghazi since has been subjected to re~ current air attacks of an indiscriminate nature. Carried out by German aircraft these attacks have caused much loss of life amongst the civilian population and damage to private property in residential quarters of the town.—Reuter.
Swansea, Feb. 23. This town was stunned but grim today, after three and one half hours of German aerial bombing, for the third successive night, The raid last night was begun with flares dropped from scores of Nazi planes. Then came high explosive tombs mixed with incendiary missiles.
Houses suffered the worst damage while many other buildings, including a cinema, a savings bank. a brewery, a school used as a food control depot and a theatre. also were destroyed.
One raider crashed in flames after being hit by anti-aircraft shells.
Although the raid intense, casualties were not thought high—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.