The Washington times., 1914-09-14

tons steam yacht Erin started on he
voyage home. She had successful,
conveyed the racing yacht Sharmoci
| " TO this country and had dodget
| tne German cruisers on her way owe
! and had been in touch with the British
| cruisers several times. She put in I,
bermuda and there the government
ohicials ordered her guns to be dis
| mounted and the stack OF rifles emptied
All these firearms We're to be stored
man warship. she might have been de
clared an armed cruiser and sent Il
the bottom.
Was to Join Forces.
She had on board on her return Col
Duncan F. d. Neill. a British army of
ficer. and others who. as soon as the,
got home, would join the army or nav,
and serve in the war. She was read,
10 leave at least a day before sh.
finally weighed anchor and she waited
here for instructions. not from hel
owner or his representative, but from
the British authorities.
She went out late in the afternoon
and at once got in communication with
the cruiser Suffolk and received from
that vessel the course she was to take
Before she left the harbor she got In
structions about signals and a code was
also furnished so that she might know
whether vessel calling was friendly or
an enemy. The Erin passed by the AM
brose Channel lightship and then headed
east until of Montauk Point, when she
took more northern passage and got
on the lane of the steamers crossing
from Halifax and then went west. She
got in touch with first one and an
other of the guard vessels.
1t is Just the same way with the big
passenger vessels and freighters, ard.
while those on board do not know It be-
cause they do not see the warsi,ips
they are in touch with the British navy
vessels all the way across the Atlantic
The British cruisers are patrollinS the
Northern Atlantic. Further south are
the French cruisers Conde and Des-
cartes. and in the South Atlantic are
more British and French vessels. " ia
So all over the world. Every lane as
far as is possible, is carefully guarded.
and in this way the food supplies for
England and for France are being
safely carried to home ports.
The Brush government has absolute
control OF the wireless telegraphy of
Great Britain. No wireless apparatus
can be installed without n license from
the postmaster general. An act of par
lament was passed in 1904 and amended
in 1906 regulating the use of the wire
ieSS- At lfldt llfne II was explained That
II was necessary from a naval point
of view that the government should CON
troll the wireless. and it is from that
time that conveying by wireless was
first planned and is now being success
fully carried out.
Change of Routes.
One reason for the changing Of the
routes and keeping the course to be
used by the transatlantic steamers a
secret Is that the usual courses in time
OF peace are known the world over.
and. should they still be maintained. 1t
would be an easy thing for some Ger
man cruiser to lie In one of these lanes
and wait for some British vessel 10
come along.
Now other lanes have been estab-
Ilshed. They are constantly changed
and only the captains and navigating
officers of the different vessels know
what they are. They may be far north
his week and nexc week they may be
changed TO some point much further
south. These changes. however. are not
likely to be made as long as the Ger
nan cruisers which are known to be
on the Atlantic are not in
'anGerous proximity to these lanes. ana
is long as the British have a powerful
tcet the few German vessels are not
likely to prowl about the north.