South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-25
CANADIANS AFTER
DODGING UNDER
SEA CRAFT LAUGH
SaxOnia on Trip Across Allan
tic with 2,400 Men Has Ex-
citing Time Evading German
Submarines.
BY r. 4. Price.

d
rine lodging just rs they were laugh /
* at the rigor Of life in the great \
military camp OF shorncHnc.
Canada's answer 10 Kitchener's call /
Tor troops Is the most emphatic OF all /
the colonies
And the answer is not easy. There /
are things 20 be undergone here and 1
on the voyage that would arouse these /
men TO mutlny were ii not for the ali 7
Withstanding patriotism tnat urges \
them on and in the words of "A French /
canadian corporal spoken on the I
transport SaXonia lis driving them AT |
the Threats OF the Germans to take /
toll for the comrades of the first eN- \
petition who were crucifed TO make a /
TeutOn holiday"
u is OF the Saxonia's detail that this .
Us written by man who sailed on /
that liner. She carried from Halifax I
Co Plymouth the 18th and 22nd bat 7
talions Of volunteer infantry She was /
chased out OF her course by subma- /
rines she was oVercroWdcd and I
poorly served because Of the meager /
crew that could be mustered and her I
COmmissary department was not well 4
organized, but none Of these things /
could dampen the ardor OF her pas 1
sengers straining as they were TO get \
at grips with the armies that were /
spoken OF on board the SaNonia only I
as pirates Huns" and "Nandals." !
Arc Eager for front.
Men and officers are eager for the i
call To France or Dardaneiles After /
straining at the leash of months of |
training and drill in Canada. and az /
ter coming to the reaction that fol- /
lowed the danger of their trip here /
they are seeking the opportunity 10 I
make someone pay And when that /
payment is eNacted it will be 10 the |
last penny.
The trip OF the Saxonia is one that /
will live always with the men who /
were her passengers and crew. She \
had carried from Liverpool To New /
York an ordinary passenger list. She I
landed in New York Wednesday. May /
u orders were at once received TO /
convert the BIZ Cuuardcr into a trans /
port and the order caused consterna-
ton because the crew was far snort. /
and when II leaked out that she was /
10 sail under admiralty orders II be- /
came almost impossible To obtain men 1
To fill any of the places. She sailed /
from New York the following Sunday |
with little more than half crew.
Cleared for Quebec, the SaNonia re- /
ceived orders just outside New York |
To proceed instead TO Halifax. These /
orders were given by wireless from /
grim cruiser which showed the Union 4
Jack at her masthead. Ths liners /
she vcered TO the north
Pick Up Grew.
Halifax was reached on Tuesday.
Here the call for men TO join the
crew was made under the urge of
patriotism and was better answered.
so that by the time the 2.40O men of
the two battalions had been marched /
aboard and had found their quarters.
there were about two men aboard To
do the work which ordinarily required |
the services of three To this crew
belongs the distinction that goes to
brave men.
The SaNonia was overcrowded-she
had never before carried so large a .
passenger liSt-aEf his led the COM
missary officials of -.tc Cunarder into I
a mistake that very nearly brought
mutiny 20 the ship. II was a mistake /
caused by the rigorous holding TO the
traditional idea of caste.
The commissioned officers of the eX-
petition were, of course. housed i'm the
FIRST cabin, and the chief steward of /
the SaXOnia devoted all his energies /
toward providing these so men with /
the fat OF the land. 10 the neglect of |
the more than 1000 non-commisslon-
ed officers and privates.
Revolt At Food.
The food served up in the second /
cabin Che SergeantS ness and the /
steerage (where privates and corporals /
were Quartered) during the first two /
or three days was slopped-up mess /
that was revolving. The men arose
in "A body 10 demand a betterment OF /
conditions and the protest eliminated |
in one section holding the dlnlnS /
quarters at breakfast until the ON /
nanding officers had been summoned {
and had given promise or improve
ment This promise was k"i Nnen
volunteers from the eNpedtu.n were /
pglIgH frnpn 10 helm the crew.
But the marvel of the trip Nas not |
these disagrecahle incident IL was
the COURAGE. the uncomfortable spirit. |
the indefnable nerve that made Of I
fcers and men alike laugh al the /
danger that the wireless warned them /
of and that caused the ship To turn
sharp into the night with hlanketed |
norris and rush off under forced draft I
from the menace OF an unseen suhma-
rine.
on the wednesday niEht before the |
SaNonia landed az Plymouth ON sun
dav. there was a concert given in the /
first saloon for the oenent or an /
orphanage i'm Liverpool Every man
no could crowd into the big room \
did SO. Officers and men followed +
each other ON the program. which .
would have done credit 90 amy the
atrical manager To was an inSpira- /
zion 20 the whole ship-What an in \
Dictated by the fact that on the follow 4
ing day several members of the crew /
went forward 20 he commanders off, +
GERS and enlisted.
Picks Up Convoy.
The SaNonia had been forced far 1
out OF her course. When she turned I
her prov toward the harbpr an Plym- T
outh she did so from q point ABOUT +
800 miles due south. where she picked I
up the convoy that had been dis
patched 90 give her safe conduct into /
the haven which she soucht
This convoy had a wonderful im-
PRECISION to make ou both crew and /
passengers It consisted of these tor
pedo boat deStroyers. grey little pill
grims OF Che deep that looked So small /
and puny under the shadow OF the I
great cunarder that be- seemed like /
mother broodng three small duckLngs I
instead
sunny Devon. where Plymouth lies.
sprang tiEidIy to the SAFE of The men I
when they awukc on the morning OF /
sunday May 20. The -rcen shores OF /
plymouth sound echoed and reechoed |
20 the cheers OF the troops and OF the .