The Detroit times., 1916-02-19
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY IL, 1919.
Bntain,s "Caf Squadron on
p Watch Tor Germans Is Last
Word in Naval EIfciencu

london cabinet members were re-
signing; labor was threatening to
boycott the war: politicians gener.
ally were making q 'rightful FUSS
the pessimists were having the time
OF their lives and even the dyed-in-
the-wool optimists were sadly shak-
lng their heads. But here all was
peace and quiet and cheerfulness
and work. We talked with men OF
all grades. from the youthful-iook-
lng commodore to the veteran oiler
and politics wasn't mentioned once
the whole day. They had no curl.
osity a to what was gotns on at
Westminster. The overturnins OF
the government or even the abdica-
tion OF the king would make no dif
ference To them. Their work was
cut out when winston Churchill. a
week before the war was declared,
started the grand feet for the sta
tioas where II would do the most
good, and they are goir TO keep
right at the JOB until the nnish.
This rendezvous of the Cat squad
ron Ia one OF the most important
oatposts Of the empire. Here, in q
commodious and well-guarded har-
Dor. are assembled practically every
type OF naval vessel. with the OK.
ception Of dreadnaughts. Besides
swift light cruisers OF the Arethusa
type. and the latest 1916 model OF
destroyers. there is an imposing
nock Of "E" submarines. also mine
layers and mine-sweepers. colliers,
tankers. supply ships of various
kinds. airplane carriers that look
like huge house-boats, drifters, and
trawlers, not to mention motor
boats made In America"
II was in one of the latter that
we were permitted to cruise about
the harbor and nnaliy to visit the
most shotup ship In the British
navy. the Arethusa. Despite her
numerous scars and patches. she
suffers from no internal complaint.
They call her the Saucy Arethusa
and she locked the part. Also her
record proved II. She had been In
every publicly recorded scrap In
the North sea since the war started
and In severai unoflicial ones about
which nothing Is to be said. Her
chief trophy was the Blucher. which
she torpedoed In the Dogger Bank
engagement Of Jan. ~ last, then
helped to nsh the struggling sur
vivors out OF the water.
More interesting than the details
OF her up-to-date armament. her nre
control system or her oil-driven en-
Eines, was the snappiness OF her
crew. Youth has the call In the
British navy these days, among
both onicers and men. The oficers
we met today average in age prob
ably 10 years younger than those
In similar positions In the Ameri-
can navy. As an exhibition OF
quickness OF movement II would be
difhcult to imagine a more inspiring
spectacle than the denomination
given for our benefit OF rapid firing
by one OF the four-inch gun crews.
No one held the watch on them.
That wouldn't have been good form.
In the circumstances: but II the
Germans can do II any faster they
are entitled to crow.
Concentrated efficiency, readiness
for any emergency, but above all
the breezy. boyish optimism Of these
sea-hghters which the nervous strain
Of constant vigilance or the down
heartedness OF some of the folks
back home has failed TO disturb In
the slightest degree--these are the
Impressions one cannot fail to
carry away after day spent with
the Cat squadron.