Oxford eagle., 1914-09-10
NAVAL OFFICER SAYS SEA FIGHT
r. WAS NOT BATTLE, BUT MASSACRE

Hci guns was Just Ike a cooling
drink
To see q real big four funneler
spouting fame. which fame denoted
shells starting and those shells not al
US but for us. was the most cheerful
thing possible. Once We were in safe
". hated IT, We had Just been hav.
ing our own imaginations stimulated
on the subject OF shells striking.
Mow. few minutes later. to see an.
other ship not three miles away. re-
duced to piteous mass. OF unrecog-
INABILITY. vreathed In black fumes
from which nared out angry gusts of
nre like Vesuvius In eruption. as an
unending stream OF hundred pound
shells burst on board II. Just pointed
the moral and showed US what might
have been.
Says Msinx Acted GaIIsntIy.
The Mainz was immensely gallant.
The last | saw of IL IL was absolutely
wrecked. II was a fuming inferno. But
II had one gun forward and one aft
still splitting forth fury and defiance
like a wild cat.
Then we went west. while they
went east. Just a bit later We heard
the thunder Of the enemy's guns for q
space. Then fell silence. and we knew
that was all.
The most romantic. dramatic and
piauant episode that modern war can
ever show came next The Defender,
having sunk an enemy. lowered a
whaler to pick up its swimming sur
vivors. Before the whaler got back.
an enemy's cruiser came up and
chased the Defender. which thus had
to abandon its small boat.
Up Pops . Submarine.
Imagine their feelings. alone In an
open boat without food. * miles from
the nearest land. and that land an
enemy's fortress. with nothing but fog
and foes around them. and then sud
denly n swirl alongside. and up. N you
please. hops his Britannia maiesty's
submarine Er4. opens It's coming
tower. takes them all on board. shuts
np again. dives and brings them home.
,5e miles.
Is not that magnificent No novel
st would dare face the critics with
an episode like that. except. perhaps.
lules Verne. and yet here IL is. and all
rue"
Es0isnd In Anger.
Calm. methodical. undemonstrative
slow to arouse, is getting into
/ passion which is carrying the nation
o q point Of deathIess determination
o defeat the Germans. The Eloriously
yailant fight that the small British
'orce has been making to stem the
;erman food towards Paris has
ouehed this country's Imagination.
Iroused the martial spirit and called
orsh a rush to the colors.
Hitherto the country has not
'eemed TO realize fully the portent OF
vents across the channel and. as In
he South African war. it's taken
Bic OF pounding OF their own forces to
bring the people to the point Of patri-
,tic anger which the situation de-
handed. Now they have reached that
point
Ssormed by Reeruits-
The recruiting stations were over
hundreds standing outside In
waiting lines II was reported that
80 900 have been accepted during the
ast three days. It's glorious upris-
nx OF the whole nation. which has
come to fully realize the necessity OF
not only clearing the seas Of the enc
mics ships. but helping the allies on
land as wsll.
With this condition prevailing. Lord
will find IL possible to send
a steady now Of fresh men TO the
front. The removal OF the French
to Bordeaux received gen.
eraI approval here. and is considered
the logical step under the circum
stances
Devotion Of Peeresses-
The following letter. signed By five
women OF title, is addressed to the
press:
The undersigned have all got near
relations serving with the colors. Most
of them have got near relations who
have borne and are bearing part in
the gallant and sanguinary battle
which the British army Is hghtins
against heavy odds on the northeast
frontier OF France.
We know not what their fate has
been or yet may be: but IL IL 10 their
fortune to die for their country. We
shall not show our sorrow as for those
who come to less glorious end A
white band around the arm will mark
both our loss and our grief; but II
will do more: IL will express the pride
We feel In knowing that those who
are nearest to us and dearest have
given up their lives in their countrys