Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Wednesday 5 September 1923, page 9


THE CORFU BOMBARDMENT BRITISH AND AMERICAN ORPHANS KILLED. ATHENS, September 4. Col. Low, an American, Director of the relief orphanages at Corfu, who has arrived from Corfu with Greek offi-cials and 60 expelled Greek soldiers, stated that the number killed by the Italians on the island has now reached 20, and that the wounded in hospital total 32. In addition, about 50 other persons have sustained slight injuries. All the killed and wounded were refugees or orphans from the American and British orphanages housed in the old fortress. The fact that 18 of those killed were children, is due to several shells having hit the bar-racks which are used as orphanages. Shrapnel shells exploded on the water . front of the fortress, near where 400 orphan boys were bathing. Col. Low tells how he hastened to the quay to protest to the Italian officers against the futile killing of citizens; but the firing had ceased before he had car-ried out his object. The first Italian offi-cer who landed walked along, mopping his brow, to the spot where English and American nurses were attending the wounded. The officer asked, "Were any Britons killed or wounded?" "No." was the reply, whereupon he heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Thank God!" Col. Low announces that he has reported to tbe American State Department that the bombardment was entirely unneces-sary, and that a handful of men without a gun could have accomplished the occupa-tion.