The Washington times., 1917-05-03
zEPPELINS THANKED
FOR MANY THRILLS
Correspondent Tells Of DisappOint,
ing Nation Wide RumOr.
BY J. C. wELLIvER.


has often TO thank Germany and her
ZeppeIins for excitement and anticipa-
ton that is found particularly refresh
ing in these somewhat dull times Tor
hornestayers. II was so a week ago.
And now that the story Of the disap-
pointing nationwide rumor may be told
without indIscretion the particulars Will
make an entertaining Item for American
friends. Incidentally they will Justify
charitable appreciation Of the fact that
British journalists are not responsible
for the creations.
Our most recent experience Of this
kind was, as we now know. due to what
was perhaps the most remarkable Sc
quence OF coincidence that has afflicted
an e1pectant nation.
I should add. in passing. and In ex-
PLANTATION OF our attitude Of mind. that
30 far from rumors OF impending attacks
on our islands creating the panic de-
sired by the enemy. the chief result II
similar TO that experienced when an
nouncement Is made that some new and
particularly interesting performance Is
due at Drury Lane, or other favorite
theater.
Thrills Made Enjoyable.
On the occasion / am speaking OF
we learned from sources as wide
apart as Leith, on the east coast OF
Scotland, to Harwich and Dover, on
the southeast and south coasts Of Eng
land, that disaster was again impend-
ing. The story took varying shape.
which only made the thrills ana
throbbIngs and anticipations more
deliRhtfully enjoyable and precious.
First of all We were told, with cir
cumstance and detail, that a feet was
to land at a point mentioned, the raid
to be accompanied by Zeppelin bonn
barders and submarine destroyers OF
shipping and mined areas
Then came the news, also circum-
stantially detailed, OF a battle in the
North Sea. and of dead and injured
sailors being landed in the darkest
hours OF night, without lights, in or
der that the nation might be kept
from knowledge Of the overwhelming
disaster and defeat that had befallen
a portion of the fleet One version
declared the grand fleet had been more
severely smashed than at the battle
of Jutland. Another that a cruiser
squadron had been almost totally
wrecked, with few survivors" to tell
the sorrowful tale.
While those OF US who were in
newspaper service were fusing the
| telephone wires with the lightning
urgency of messages to places be-
tween John o. Groat's and Lands End.
others were rushing madly and with
out regard to speed limit regulations
from point to point on the coast line
in search OF the raiding squadrons
and evidences OF their success, which
we were assured could be found in
various vaguely described places.
Those who stayed In London learned
later that the military had been
called out at one important town.
and had been instructed to warn the
population to keep indoors, but also
to assure them there was no danger.
Scarcely had the newspapers dis
patched specials" to the area indi-
Gated than fresh correspondents tele-
graphed that the London "Volun-
teers," enrolled for special emergen-
cies, to which many journalists be-
long, had been ordered to mobilize
without delay and to prepare for duty
in the area indicated in a preceding
message.
All Doubt Removed.
i While the excitement, now at its
height, was still being fed delightfully."-
by additional explicit statements that
the constabulary in two counties al
ready referred to had been called out
en- masse there came reports that
every officer on leave had been sum-
moned to return without delay" and
that from almost every point in the
British Isles they were rushing where
duty called and danger to the home
land threatened. Inquiries verihed
these later statements, and very Few
of us any longer doubted that some
: thing serious had happened or was
afoot.
That was on Saturday. late in the
evening, and the whole OF the re-
, mainder OF the night and of the early
morning was spent by public ano
, newspaper men alike in frantic motor
! ing all over the country. on the east
. ern side and to the southeast. Moth
ing rewarded the seekers after sen
satIon and news, and at breakfasl
time on Sunday morning a multitude
of disappointed men and women were
making their way back to the metrop'
oils. or to their nearest home town
, weary to death of their journeylnSs
but all overjoyed at the excitemen
> they had SO luckily shared In.
About noon the stories began again
!. and as a member OF the Press Clut
. who had just arrived from coast re
sort nifty miles or so from London dc
cIared there could be no mistake
= about the naval battle having takei
place, every one went on to the towi
= Indicated, urged by their colleague
assurance that he had seen IN
wounded seamen being carried 10 IN
hospitals on stretchers.
1t was at this point the whol
: story was battered into nothingness
and the extraordinary coincidence
e began gradually to reveal themselVe:
what Really Happened.
kilograms had been dispatched I
all officers on leave who were unit
- of the various regiments OF an Eas
ern district command. Arrangement
A had also been made with one OF Tn
railway companies to have reau
transportation for a whole oiVlsloI
But the emergency was due only a
we discovered early on Monday mori
y ing, to the fact that sudden alter'
tion of war plans had made tres
= disposition of that divisions uetdli
urgently imperative.
The second coincidence was that IN
4 hRfnR