Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-02
BIC i. S. TRANSPORT
IS HIT BY TORPEDO
Navy Department Says Damage
Is Slight, and Boat Gets to
Port Under Own Steam.
WAS ON H0MEWARD VOYAGE
From Fact That No Casualties
Are Mentioned, Presumed
That None Occurred.

a late hour tonight no further details
had been received by the Navy Depart
ment about torpedo attack on the
nouncement has been made. containing
Secretary Daniels says. all the infor-
nation at hand:
The Navy Department has received
dispatches stating that tho transport
Finland was torpedoed while returning
from foreign waters Tho damage 10
the ship was slight, and she returned
TO port under her own steam. The Fin
land was under escort, but no sign of
the torpedo or the submarine was
seem"
From the fact that no casualties arc
mentioned 1t Is presumed that none oc-
CURED. II is the invariable custom in
announcing such incidents for the off-
Ger In command to list his casualties
in his first report
The possibility that mine may have
been responsible for the explosion was
admitted at the Navy Department to-
day. Carefully as the channels OF the
transports are swept for mines, it Is
admitted that the German disregard for
International law in setting afloat
mines makes the sweeping process un-
certain.
There is no evidence that tho Ger
mans have any new method OF attack
which makes torpedoes or submarines
less liable to detection. Officers Of our
own submarine feet have frankly mar
reled tina, the losses 10 our transport
service have not been greater. They
say there is no reason why n torpedo
cannot be fired with greater accuracy
after the merest glance in the course
of "porpo!se" rise to the surface.
IMPROVING THEIR TACTICS
TO MEET NEW METHODS
II Is accordingly believed that the
| Germans are merely to certain extent
improving their tactics to meet the i'm
proyement in tactics developed by the
vessels of the United States.
Twice within the last two weeks tor.
pedoes have struck vessels of our
forces without sinking them. The de-
stroycr Cassin, though suffering sew
eral casualties among the crew. and
having one engine disabled not only
returned to port safe. but actually
sought 10 follow her unseen foe
The repetition of this with the Fin
land is taken to prove the effectiveness,
of the lodging tactics employed by all
vessels in the danger zone.
The fact that two attacks have been
made on home bound vessels and on
| none of those outward bound and laden
with troops is explained by the fact
that there are an Infinitely larger num-
ber of courses over which these yes
sells can approach the European shore
than there are courses over which
they can leave European ports
Vessels homeward bound. Secretary
Daniels said to-day. are carefully
protected as those going out.
There is also seen in some quarters
4 desire on the part of Germany to
avoid any greE catastrophe to
United States troopship. 1t Is believed
that It is we'll known to the Germans
that such an occurrence would rouse
the United States az would little else
Germany. II is believed. is we'll content
to let the few United States soldiers
now ready get to France, and hamper
the allies by cutting off supplies for
them and for all Europe by con-
tinuance of her systematic reduction
of shipping through submarine losses
LOSSES OF AMERICAN
SHIPS EXTREMELY SMALL
While no statement is available as
to the number of vessels which the
United States has sent safely over
seas. naval officers frankly say our
losses are trifingly small. Out Of all
those that have been sent. one vessel,
the Antilles. has been lost, and two,
the Finland and the Cassin. have been
injured
The Finland is one of the largest
steamers flying the American flag. Be
fore going into the army transport
service she piled between New York
and European ports in the International
Mercantile Marine Company's service
under the Red Star and other lines
The vessel has a gross tonnage OF
12.S06. and net tonnage of 7,7l1. She
normally carries n crew OF 257 men.
The Finland was built in Philadelphia
in 1902. Her home port is New York.