The Colorado statesman., 1916-07-15
Story of Voyage of German u
Boat Across Ocean Out
rivals F.ciion.
HOSTILE SHIPS ARE D0DGED
Submarine, During Hazardous $500.
Mile Run, Submerged Many Times
to Escape Possible Attack
From Enemy.

'aiieu up ny tlle aInaZlnS story OF tne
trip of the German U-boat Deutsch-
land across the Atlantic ocean-a voy-
age that has been pronounced the most
daring in the history of the sea-
The story of the remarkable voyage
made by this submarine-the first to
cross the Atlantic ocean-through a
maze of hostile warships, has been told
simply by Capt. Paul Koenig, com
mander of the undersea craft.
koenig was modest about it all. He
had Il few words of praise for his
crew and none for himself When he
spoke of the fatherland his eyes spar
kled and his whole body twitched with
eagerness. When he talked of Just
dropping down when he saw a de-
stroyer" his voice was calm.
Would He Surrender2
Just once did he display real emo
tiOn. That was when toward the end
of the interview this question was
suddenly shot at him:
suppose on your way back. just
as you left the Virginia capes, you saw
destroyer bearing mercilessly down
upon you. Suppose there wasn't time
| ~ bOh5ts wash tllHt W
what would you do? Would YOU sur
| render?"
The undersea shippers face turned
n sudden red that looked queer under
his thick weather tan. His hands
clenched, his eyes flashed, then slowly
each word painfully thought out, came
the answer:
"WOuld | surrender? I-couldn't
tell about that-pOsitively can't.
don't know-surrender? I think the
moment would bring the decision. Yes.
that moment would carry its own de-
cision."
That was the spoken reply, but in
every bit of the mans tone, in every
set line of his face could be read the
real answer-Capt. Paul Koenig has no
intention that the Deutschland shall
ever fall into enemy hands.
Fears No Enemy Warship.
And he has every confidence that
he will take the Deutschland back to
Bremen loaded with the rubber and
nickel that the Fatherland so Graves
for its munition factories.
"Six. ten. dozen. twenty cruisers
outside will not stop u.s." he exclaimed
"We will go back; we will go back
easy. And we will come again. and
Others will come and trade will go
back and forth. and the British block
ade-that will be thing to laugh at
"The future of the submarine has
now been proved to be unlimited" he
asserted. There is practically no
maximum to their capacity; their
mechanism has been perfected we
have shown that they do anything any
other ship can do. and more besides
about that I am positive. The
coming of the Deutschland. $500 miles
to America. and her arrival with a
range of almost ten thousand miles
left. with fuel and water and supplies
and everything for that much travel
still aboard. shows that you can go
with submarine simply where you
want to GO"
KOenig is small man. ordinarily
looking until he begins to talk. when
his force and personality become at
once apparent.
First Submarine Trip.
One of the first questions asked of
ing replies of the interview. Request
ed to tell in detail of all the submarine
experience he had before being select
ell to attempt the crossing, he replied
quickly:
but you see I have not had any.
OF course we practiced after we went
aboard, We practiced great deal.
Navigation I know. Submarines
think ! know now.
WAS 1t fun? Sometimes. yes Most
| II was fun In the English channel.
| There we lay ten hours on the bottom.
| snug and comfortable. Some of us
slept and some of us read and most
of us listened TO our graphophone play
ing n beautiful song from peer Gynt."
while above us ragged the destrovers
and cruisers that would have thought
us the very choicest of prey had they
hut known what lay hidden there he
| low them. 1t was not n lGng ten
hours. We drank little champagne.
and we ate and attended to the ma
chinery.
mo. we didn't Submerge because of
any cruiser chasing us; not once were
we chased
How They Submerged.
Nothing moe vivid about adven-
ture coud'be drawn from Koenig than
the detailing of these times 1--WE Just
sank" As far as his words went. that
was all there was to 1t. A vessel was
sighted: the Deutschland was quickly
submerged: she ran along under water
for time. and then-she came up
and opened her matches for fresh mir
while officers and men went about
their work, their rest, or their play.