The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-07
With BresIau, Watched on One
Route, She Got to Turkey
by Another.
FLASHES TOLD EVERY MOVE
Fooled British as to Destination,
Changed Course and damned Enc.
my's Wireless So Warships
Could Not Be Advised,

~SS'S wv ~ SNAVtoVNs
London.-A picturesque account of
the thrilling escape of the Goeben and
the Breslau to the Dardanelles at the
beginning of the war is contained in
book which is causing a sensation
in Germany. The author. Emil Lud-
wig, who says that the facts we're
gathered from sources of unQues-
toned reliability, asserts that the two
German warships owe their escape
from the British pursuit to remark
able wireless device. He also says
that the British feet was so certain
of the enemy cruisers intention to
gain an Austrian port in the Adriatic
that special precautions we're taken
to guard the Strait of Otranto, thus
leaving to the Germans a clear road
from Messina to Constantinople.
There is evidence that the author
has had access to the log book of the
Goeben, and that he also received
first hand information regarding the
fight from the commander in chief,
Vice-Admiral Souchon.
Vice-Admiral Souchon, it appears
from the book, was informed on June
%, 1914, by wireless of the murder of
the archduke, and later-the exact
da.e is not given. but judging by the
context it would seem to have been
toward the middle of July-the follow
ing wireless message reached the Goe-
ben from the German admiralty staff
at Berlin:
German ships must not touch
French and English harbors."
Exchanged courtesles.
Officers and men of the Goeben
working in the wireless room In relays
of four hours at time for ten days
flashed the message to German ships
in the Mediterranean, the Black sea
and the Atlantic ocean.
The writer dates the story Of the
flight from July 30, when he says the
crew of the Breslau gave cheers for
the British destroyers Defence and
Raccoon. which she encountered. The
cheers were promptly returned. On
the evening Of the same day the Bres-
lau received the following message
from the British ship OF the line"
Gloucester: Tomorrow IN English
sailor is to be buried; please run your
Tag down to half mast" An invita-
ton was extended to the British off,
GERS to come on board the Breslau on
the following evening. Obviously only
the respective STATS knew then the
possibilities of the European situation.
The Gloucester disappeared during
the night. Four days later the Glou.
cester was chasing the Breslau through
the Mediterranean sea.
On the same morning on which the
British ship had disappeared an order
came from the admiral that the Bres-
lau should leave for Brindisi, there to
await instructions. The Breslau
weighed anchor and rushed away at
twenty-eight miles an hour toward
Brindisi. On the way the following
emphatic message was received by the
admiral:
Political relations broken of be-
tween Triple Alliance and France,
Russia and Great Britain"
At one o'clock in the afternoon of
August 1 the Breslau came alongside
the Goeben before Brindisi. A third
ship, the German passenger timer Cen
eral, Joined the warships at about the
same time, having been called thither
by the admiral. The three ships ar.
rived at Messina on Angus! 2.
War News by Wireless.
At one o'clock on the morning of
August the Goeben and Breslau put
to sea. cnly the staff knew why and
whittier. Throughout the next day,
proceeds the writer, Souchon anxious.
ly awaited news by wireless, and it
was not before six o'clock in the eve
ming that an officer slipped on to the
bridge with the following deciphered
MESSAGE
France has declared war"
Coal like the devil" said the ad-
niral little later. 1--WE shall see the
Algerian coast at dawn and get the
first shot in" At two minutes to mid
night the following wireless message
was handed to the admiral:
"Breslau and Goeben must steam
with all speed to Constantinople."
The message was unexpected,
startling; almost Incredible" The
admiral resolved to get his blow In at
the first hour. The Breslau shelled
Bone, Algeria, and the Goeben Phil
ippeville, and the admiral laughed as
he read intercepted French wireless
MESSAGES which indicated belief that
"the German cruiser" was continuing
westward.
At 1880 in the morning tho two
German ships sighted two British
ships, Invincible and Indoxible. Later
a third British vessel. Of the Wey'
mouth class. joined the latter. AT
eleven o'clock that night the wireless
ofiicer deciphered by means Of his
lamp and code book the following
message received from Norddeich:
Il: ENGLAND has declared war;"
The admiral and his staff were not
surprised. but the crew, when the