The Seward gateway., 1916-03-03
BRITISH WAR
 SHIP VISITED
Continued from page twOl

Upon the crews of these light cruis- CTS and speedy destroyers rests a heavy responsibility. For seventeen months they have been at this job of guarding Britain from raid or invas- ion. Steam is always up. They are not only ready at an instants notice to bounce upon the enemy, but they are constantly searching for him. Some part of the Get Squadron is al ways prowling about the North Sea, nosing out submarines, fishing for mines, annoying zeppelins, chasing aeropanes, or quietly rubbering along the German coast.
 They are too busy to grumbIe even if they felt like it. Back in London cabinet members were resigning; Labor was threatening to boycott the war; politicians generally were mak- ing frightful fuss; the pessimists were having the time of their lives and even the dyed-in-the-wool optim- ists were sadly shaking their heads. But here all was peace and quiet and cheerfulness and work. We talked with men of all grades, from the youthful-looking commodore to the veteran oiler and politics wasn't men toned once the whole day. They had no curiosity as to what was going on at Westminster. The overturning of the government or even the abdica- ton of the King would make no diff ference to them. Their work was cut out when Winston Churchill, a week before war was declared, started the Grand Fleet for the stations where it would do the most good, and they are going to keep right at the job until the finish.
 This rendezvous of the Cat Squad ron is one of theamost important out posts of the Empire. Here, in a com. modious and weIl-guarded harbor are assembled practically every type of naval vessel, with the exception of Dreadnaughts. Besides swift light cruisers of the Arethusa type, and the latest 1916 model of destroyers, there is an imposing flock of "E" submar- ines, also mine-layers and mine sweepers, colliers, tankers, supply ships of various kinds; airplane car riers that look like huge house-bOats, drifters, and trawlers, not to mention |
 motor boats made in America"
 It was in one of the latter that we were permitted to cruise about the harbOr and finally to visit the most shot-up ship in the British navy, the Arethusa. Despite her numerous sears and patches she suffers from no internal complaint. They call her the Saucy Arethusa and she looks the part. Also her record proves it. She has been in every publicly recorded scrap in the North sea since the war started and in several unofficial Ones about which nothing is to be said. Her chief trophy is the Butcher, which she torpedoed in the Dogger Bank engagement of Jan 24 last, then helped to fish the struggling survivors out of the water
 More interesting than the details of her up-to-date armament, her fire control system or her oil driven en- zines, was the snappiness of her crew. Youth has the call in the British navy these days, among both officers and men. The officers we met today average in age probably ten years younger than those in similar positions in the American navy. As an exhibition of quickness of move ment it would be difficult to imagine more inspiring spectacle than the demonstration given for our bene- fit of rapid firing by one of the four inch gan crews. No one held the watch on them. That wouldn't have been good form, in the circumstances but if the Germans can do it any fast CT they are entitled to crow.
 Concentrated efficiency, readiness for any emergency, but above all the breezy boyish optimism of these sea- fighters 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 im-
 pressiOns one cannot fail to carry