South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-04
SUBMARINES FEAR
ONLY DESTROYERS
German Commander of Under
Sea Craft Says Fast Little
Boats Are Worst Enemies of
Submarines.
NJ count NIo,,rik De beaufort.

LONDON, June 4.-The torpedoing
of the Lusitania recalls to me visit
which I paid to the admiralty build
ing in Berlin, one day early last rep
ruary.
was speaking TO a young German
naval officer. when suddenly another
officer, whose sleeves were covered
with gold braid almost as high as his
elbow rushed into the office with
CODY of the Berliner Zeitung, shout
ing, now, who rules the waves
saw in fat headlines the name Lusi-
tania, and in smaller type, 'holsts the
American flag"
7 believe that the higher naval
officer who was so excited about the
news was Admiral Won Capelle, the
newly promoted under secretary OF
state for the navy. He turned TO me,
and. holding the paper close under
nv nose. asked: "Well, what is your
Mr.. Wilson going to do about that?
He cannot very we'll remain neutral
in face of such actions, such misuse
of the stars and stripes"
Then again addressing the other Of
ficers he continued: What humi-
liation, gentlemen, what frightful
blot on the British flag. Hauled
down, Ell, for one of our little sub
marines All, well wait" and here L
was singled out again for his special
attention, It'll after Feb. Is, Wen
show the world something.
she" pointing towards the snip
name, will stop her sailings or we
will get her sooner or later. mat
Will wake them up over there. our
navy is not going to lag behind our
army in the matter Of surprises. We
still have one or two left both on land
as well as on sea.
"In a month from now no British
ship will put her nose outside har-
Dor with her own flag flying. The
fact that the British admiralty has
issued instructions that merchant
ships should carry arms puts them on
the level with MISREPRESENTATION
who fire on troops and no pardon Will
be given them"
l asked Capt. Lohlein how many
knots his fastest submarine could
make, but he shrugged his shoulders
in answer and said mysteriously:
Wait till Feb. Is, and that question
will be answered many times" l also
met one Of the younger officers of the
navy, one who has made several trips
in a submarine with Capt. Hersing of
the U-21, which torpedoed the cruiser
Pathfinder early in September, and
sank the Ben Cruachan.
dangerous profession cOnided TO me
that the only thing they were anxious
about were the British torpedo boat
destroyerE.
''I do not know what would become
OF us If England had a large mum Der
OF them" he said. They are devils
incarnate. You see, when we rise out
OF the water, at first the range Of
vision of our periscOpe is very small,
and if a destroyer is anywhere within
half a mile. or even mile, it is
close shave for the submarine. orders
have been issued that after the 18th
our submarines must not show them
selves unless absolutely necessary.
'Of course. il would be more
humane 10 signal stea mers and to
give them time 10 leave their ships
but often such procedure would be
suicidal. An enemy torpedo boat de-
strOyer may be lurking somewhere
near especially in misty weather, or
he may even approach under cover OF
the very ship we are waiting 10 sink"