The midland journal., 1916-10-13
FIGHTING U-BOAT
CALLSAT NEWPORT
Drops in to Mail Letter to the
German Ambassador.
SAILS AWAY. IN 3 HOURS
Almost Before U. s. Navy Officials Had
Time To Return Her Captains
Call, She Had Gone TO
Three-Mile Limit.

Newport, r. Seventeen days from
Wilhelmshaven. the Imperial German
submarine U-53, dropped anchor in
Newport harbor Saturday. Almost be-
fore the officers of the American feet
OF warships through which the
stranger had nosed her way had re-
covered from their astonishment, the
undOrsea fighter had delivered mes
sage for tho German Ambassador, and,
weighing anchor, turned Brenton's
Reef lightship and disappeared be-
meath the waves just inside the three
mile limit.
AS she came and went she few the
black and white colors of the German
Navy, gun was mounted on the for
ward deck and another aft, while eight
torpedoes, plainly visible under the for
ward deck. gave mute assurance that
the warship was ready for fight at
the drop Of the hat.
Lieutenant-C Captain Hans Rose, who
hung up new worlds record in bring
ing an armed submarine in battle array
across the Atlantic, said that he had
called at Newport simply to mail a
letter to Count Won Bernstorff. He re-
Quired neither provisions nor fuel and
would be on his way, he said, long be-
fore the "a hours during which bel
ligerent ship may remain within neu-
trail harbor had expired.
The American had been outside for
meneuvers since morning and was re-
turning when she came up with the
German. The Do, drawing near the
stranger and making out her type, sent
wireless message to the shore head
quarters Of Admiral knight, who re-
layed word Of the appearance of the
U-53 to the Navy Department at Wash
ington. The American submarine pre-
ceded the visitor into the harbor
The first report had it that it was
the Bremen which was coming in. A
newspaper man who had watched for
weeks for the merchant submarine
climbed to the tower of the United
States Engineers ONCE and, with the
aid of powerful glasses, made out two
guns on the submarine.
A few minutes later he was in a
motorboat making for the craft and
was rewarded by being taken aboard.
The U-53 had made her way through
the feet of 81 United States warships,
including destroyers and submarines,
to an anchorage 200 yards to the west
ward of the torpedo station. Captain
Rose stood on the quarterback as the
correspondent came aboard and, after
inquiring about the Bremen, said that
he had come in to mail letter to
Count Won Bernstorff, and asked for
the newspaper mans credentials.
"Please Post This Letter."
The latter exhibited an Associated
Press badge and was intrusted with
the correspondence for the Ambassa-
dor.
please forward this letter to Count
Bernstorff," said the captain. "and re-
port my arrival. They will be glad to
| hear IT,"
The correspondence, contained in a
single envelope. was mailed at the
local postof1ce at o'clock and should
have started for Washington about an
hour later. 1t should be at the Ger
man Embassy early tomorrow morn
ing.
A Busy Three Hours.
The submarine was in American
waters little more than three hours,
assuming that she continued to sea
after submerging. Within that time
the German commander paid official
visits to Rear-Admiral Austin M.
Knight, commandant of the second
naval district, and Rear-Admiral
Gleaves, commander of the destroyer
force OF the Atlantic fleet, who was on
board the flagship, the scout cruiser
Birmingham. Both American officers
returned the brief call promptly.