The Republican journal., 1914-08-13
Children Crv
FOR FLETcHER'S
G a 8 TIC
THE ESCAPE OF THE CECILIE.

Has a German skipper turned Jules
Verne? While the Pierre Lofts and the
Joseph Conrads of literature compose
dashing sea yarns with a pen, Captain
Polack is penning his adventure with an
ocean leviathan, to accessories of wire
less, gun play, fog and foreign war. We
figured that he was somewhere off the
Pentland Firth. watching his chance to
dash into Hamburg, and he pushes his
huge bow past the PROPOSES into French
mans Bay. All the elements of the
popular novel are in the exploit: interna-
tional complications; hostile cruisers in
pursuit; huge treasure of gold bullion
in the hold; the mystery OF fog; the I'M
certain effects of wireless communi-
cation; group of American fnanciers
in the smoking room, able and will
ing to buy the tlve-million-dollar craft
in order that they might GO where they
pleased. The thing has lordly sound.
1t has stupendous humor A transat-
lantic chase in fog for fifteen million
dollars international stake. Here is a
sporting event for money kings.
Those who know Captain Polack testify
that if any skipper in the German mer-
chant navy could have extricated his
command from that awkward predic-
ament he was that officer. He forced
his ship, with what reserves of coal re-
NAMED in his bunkers after more than
half crossing of the Atlantic, toward
the nearest port likely to remain neutral.
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia were
nearer; but by the time he could be
steaming inside their three-mlle limits
he might have been steaming into the
jaws Of hostile Power.
Passamaquoddy Bay would have been
nearer, probably, than Bar Harbor, but
it is unpleasantly close to Can adam
waters, and in fact it never has been,
since certain notorious wrangle, quite
certain where Eastport waters leave off
and Canadian waters begin. Cutler,
Jonesport and Machias are a tight
squeeze. Frenchman's Bay is deep,
roomy, sheltered haven. The Cecilie is
safe until further notice. She is there,
behind the -bristled, granite-back-
ed PROPOSES, and to have put her there,
Captain Polack, is something OF pro-
digious stunt.
1t is an appropriate region for refuge.
A hundred years ago British and Yankee
privateers were dashing in and out,
launching rafting broadsides at each
other, lurking in those perpetual fogs
and bouncing out. In the Spanish War
to reassure summer cottagers, the Gov
eminent mounted four dummy guns on
Egg Rock and announced that Bar
Harbor was fortified; after which the
summer colony slept soundly.
The rest is easy to guess-how all the
yachts from Kittery to Calais will rush
to Frenchman's Bay to look at the fugii-
tive liner; how the Maine fishermen will
wrench her German name into fearful
distortions of INSTRUMENTATION thriftily
garner dollars taking parties out for a
look, and tell the story to their grand
children. Perhaps, since she is prison.
er until hostilities are ended, the Ger
mans would consider an offer. At any
rate we might complain that she has
violated our law prohibiting foreign
vessels to enter our coastwlse passenger
trade. Who told her she might carry
people from New York to Bar Harbor ?
What ruinous competition with the
Eastern Steamship Comp any boston
| Transcript.