Arizona republican., 1917-04-26
AMERICAN STEAMSHIP Dlt,ir;;;SSss!aIIA r;;Ss! IA SENDS GERMAN SUBMARINE TO BOTTOM IN
 BATTLE AT ONE THOUSAND YARDS
[Repubiican A. p. Leased Wire]

LONDON, Apflt Z3.-ldptdlH tlCe oL the American Steamship Mongolia, which has arrived at a British port. told the Associated Press today that the Mongolia had fired the first gun of the war for the United States and sunk a German submarine
 The naval gunners on board made a clean hit at 1000 yards. The periscope was seen to be shattered.
 The submarine, Captain Rice said, was about to attack the great liner in British waters on April 19. He declared there was absolutely no doubt that the U boat was hit and that there was ev cry reason to believe it was destroyed.
 Even more pertinent fact, as re- gards the ultimate fate of the subma rine. was that the shell disappeared inn mediately after the hit was made
 The captain said that a shell always ricochets in the waters and can be seen again unless it finds the mark. Oil also was seen on the water after the submarine disappeared
 The Mongolia was going at full speed and was a long distance away when the spray and foam subsided but from the bridge the officers observed the spot through their glasses and they are con- fident the submarine was sunk.
 The periscope was sighted dead ahead on the last afternoon of the voy age. The cantain gave the order for full speed ahead with the intention of ramming the submarine.
 The periscope disappeared and a few minuptes later reappeared on the ship $ broadside. The gunners fired. hitting the periscope souarely and throwing up a mountain of water.
 Captain Rice paid high tribute to the gunners and to the manner in which they were handled by their of ficer.
 For five days and nights he said, q had not had my clothes off and we kept big force of lookouts on duty all the time It was 5:2O o'clock in the afternoon of the nineteenth that We sighted the submarine. The officer commanding the gunners was with me on the bridge where in fact we had been the most of the time throughout the voyage.
 There was haze over the sea at the time We had just taken a sound ing for we were getting near shallow water and we were looking at the lead when the first mate cried: There's a submarine off the port bow ''The submarine was close to us, too close in fact for her purposes and she WAS SuDIl1ti Sltles dSdiIl III OIuei lb tflct neuver in a better position for torpe- 1 doing us when we sighted her. We saw the periscope go down and the suction of the water I quickly ordered the man at the wheel to pull it to starboard and we swung the nose of the ship to- ward the spot where the submarine had | been seen."
 We were going at full speed ahead and two minutes after we first sighted the | boat it emerged again about 100( | yards off.
 Its intention probably had been tt l catch up broadside on. but when it ap- 1 peared we had the stern gun trained | full on it.
 "The lieutenant gave the command and the big gun boomed. We saw the periscope shattered and the shell anC the submarine disappeared
 'I cannot speak too highly of the coo manner in which the lieutenant handled | his gunners. It was a fine exhibition of the efficiency of American maya 1 men.
 We did not stop to reconnoiter af | ter the incident but steamed away a | full speed for it was not improbabl, ] that there was another submarin | about. The one we got undoubtedl. had been lying on the bottom at thi spot waiting for the ship and came ul when it heard our propellers.
 That's about all the story, excepting ! this: The gunners had named the gun on board the Mongolia, and the on
 which got the submarine was calle, l Theodore Roosevelt: so Teddy fired tn first gun of the war after all"