The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-09-12
TWO Conveyed
SHIPS ARE LOST
This Information Reaches United
States Navy Department From
Private Source
BATTLE OCCURRED ON SEPT. $
Merchant Fleet Was Attacked While
OF Coast Of France-Fuiler
Details Sought For.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. IL
Secretary Daniels announced today
that typographical error in the
cablesram describing the encounter
between the steamer WestwegO and
hostile submarines had made it APP
pear that six submarines had been
sunk and that in fact the report said
one of the submarines probably had
been destroyed.
Secretary Daniels late today issued
the following statement:
"My attention has just been called
to serious error made in TRANSCRIPT
ing the report OF the attack made on
the Westwego and other vessels. l
gave the report to .tthe press this
morning exactly as it was presented
to me, stating two of the steamers at
tackled were sunk and probably all of
the submarines were lost. The cable
gram | now find stated that 'One OF
the submarines probably was lost y
WASHINGTON, D. G.. Sept. IL
American destroyers are believed to
have sunk six hostile submarines Off
the coast of France September 9th.
while conveying feet Of merchant
men from the United States. Two oil
the merchant ships were lost. but. it
is reported, without loss OF life.
Meager reports to the navy depart
ment today give brief account OF the
fight, transmitted from the American
tank steamer WestwegO, one of the
ships which survived the attack.
The merchant fleet, of which the
anrnntn tn
Europe from the United States when
attacked. The vessels were under
CONVOY, but no details of the fight
were included in the reports received.
No loss of life was reported, nor were
the names of the two ships sunk in
cluded in the dispatch. 1t is not even
known whether they were American
ships or not. The navy department
has cabled for additional information.
The Westwego, an oil tank steamer,
was built in Germany in 1914, for Rou-
manian account, under the name OF
the Steaua Romano. Later the regis
try was changed to American and
afterward her name was made West
wego. The vessel was of 3.059 tons
net and carried crew Of forty-tw0.
Latest reports show she was in an
American port August Sth, and later
sailed on a transatlantic voyage,
commanded by Captain Mulcoy.
The navy de partment's only infor-
nation was made public in the follow
ing statement:
1.-THE navy department has received
a report from Paris which states that
the steamer WestwegO reports on
September 9Th that while cruising
with several other ships, was attack
ed by a massed force of six subma-
rines off the coast Of France on Sep
TENDER 5th The result OF this at
tack was that two of the steamers
attacked were sunk and probably all
of the submarines were lost
A Big Victory for Navy.
While this does not actually state
that American destroyers were con-
voying the ship, that is believed to be
the fact.
1t was announced recently that
policy of conveying fleets of merchant
ships across the Atlantic had been
adopted and since the Westwego and
other merchant craft which were the
objects of the submarines attack
were bound for Europe, it is regarded
as more than probable that American
warships guarded the merchant ship
on the way across.
American warships all have been
equipped with depth bombs for fight
ing submarines. This weapon has
been highly perfected by American
ordnance experts and proved very
deadly.
If detailed reports bear out the first
dispatch they will signalize the most
notable action against submarines
since the war began. In no other case
has such wholesale destruction OF
U-boats been reported. 1t also will
mark most striking victory for the
American naval forces.
The Westwego had an experience
with German submarine before the
United States entered the war, hav-
ing been attacked by one January LIST,
last, while off the coast of England.
She was proceeding from an Ameri-
can port with cargo of oil for
Europe when submarine fired five
shots at her from astern. The West
wego coptain, J. S. Mulcoy. brought
his vessel to a, stop and sent a boat
with his papers, whereupon the Ger
man submarine commander demanded
a supply of oil, threatening to sink
the ship if his demands were not COM
piled with. The submarine command
err also demanded that the vessels
S1,O0O,OOO cargo of gasoline be thrown
overheard, saying he would give Cap
tain Mulcoy until the next morning
to comply. -Four barrels of cylinder
oil was sent to the submarine and the
Westwego proceeded. She saw no
more of the submarine.
The Waterloo Times-Tribune says
it is able to see where there is going
to be bitter fight over the Office OF
sheriff of Montgomery county next
year.
The Rome NeWS.Ronublican saws