Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-20

overcoming fleet Is important. a, that which
Japan had lost there almost certainty
that she could conquer any adversary sent
against her on the water. 1t was no longer a
question of warfare on land, for all the trans
ports in the world would be powerlesS against
such submarines as the nations now conceded
the United States must possess.
Before sailing, the fleet commanders had
been called into council and given positive
instructions that they not to permit
themselves to be drawn into action in any
event before reaching Canada. On their ar
rival they were at once to cooperate with the
Dominion Government in whatever way seemed
advisable at that time, and follow such orders
as might be e ven from London.
The clearance, however, unlike the sailing
of that fleet from Japan, was not accompanied
by any gala demonstration. 1t was rather
with dire misgivings that the public witnessed
this departure, which were to certain extent
shared in by those aboard the vessels; and it
fully realized that the flower of Englands
navy might never return from its voyage into
an unknown danger.
The conservative press lent a funereal atti-
tude to the occasion in its treatment of the
situation, one journal declaring that England
is sending to magnificent martyrdom men who
had better have been retained at home for
their countrvs good Another paper charac-
terized it as a useless sacrifice" This be-
came the general public opinion within a few
days reports from Canada continued gloomy
and showed no prospect of a rift within the
clouds.
The music halls, always an index to the
popular view. found their greatest hits in
topical songs which were generally of the tenor
that the great, grand. glorious, and gorgeous
British tar had sailed away to do OF die-wth
the accent on the die" general air of
melancholy prevailed over all England. and
as the days went on and the fleet itself got
beyond reach of the wireless telegraph sta
tons and far out on deserted ocean, the SEN
tment one of acute expectancy.
10 Al off xx-aS aIxrico of he
without incident of Hitler, and apprised of
the fact that he had decided to make his at
tempt to cross into the forbidden land IN
aided. There was certain sense of Satisfac-
ton in the knowledge that good and efficient
on the ground with at least chance
for success in his endeavors.
This beatiic state of mind was dispelled
one bright afternoon, and England thrown
into furore that scarcely could have been
greater had one of the mysterious submarines
appeared off its shores and begun bombarding
the nearest city. 1t was like an intimation of
disaster delivered in advance of more terrible
news.
The black hull OF a South American tramp
steamer hove into sight beyond Fastnet, and
instituted rapid interchange of signals. The
men on shore, as these advanced, looked at
each other with blank dismav. and then, fear
ing that there had been misunderstanding,
and failing to grasp suddenly significance so
terrible in its import, requested that. the sig
mails be repeated. There could be no doubt
of their correct Interpretation. In one hour
all England knew beyond cavil that her feet
had met the same fate as that which had over
taken Japan's. The message in brief was that
the Esperanto had picked up in mid ocean,
floating on a life raft torn from its moorings,
sailor wearing the uniform of the Dreadnought
The man was almost dead from exposure and
had not yet recovered sufficiently to give a
coherent account of what had taken place.
No ship ever sailed into Southampton that
attracted the attention given to the Esperanto
Tranload after tralnload of excursionists,
farmers within a DAYS drive, and pedestrians
from nearby swarmed to Southampton, form
ing an excited and almost uncomfortable
gathering. Tugboats fastened out to meet the
incoming steamer, which carried the only liv-
ing link between reality and the terrible I'm
known and long lines of constables strove to
hold back the excited crowd, the noise of whose
mutterings filled the air with an ominous drone.
Between these ranks of blue clad men there
came four surgeons carrying on Stretcher a
wreck of humanity who laughed insanely and
rolled his head from side to side.
The crowd fell into awed hush as the
litter passed to the special train which was to
convey this most important witness to hos
pital. Next in public interest were the officers
and men of the Esperanto, who, feeling them
selves in the limelight, became each the center
of great crowds, to whom they recounted
best they could the story of how the