Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
GRAND FLEET Asleep
HARDLY, SAYS WRITER
Dropped From Three Ships in Quick
Time When Sailing
Orders Come.
BY ROBERT SLOss.
Correspondence of The Sunday Star
and the Chicago Daily News.)

Correspondence of The Sunday Star
and the Chicago Daily News.)
WITH THE GRAND FLEET. Novem-
Der 25.-My first impression of the
grand fleet was an illusion if immobil-
ity. Coming upon this comparatively
quiet harbor. after a fairly rough trip
on the mail steamer. then tossing
about on a picket boat for half an hour
in the thickening twilight. passing
close to stolid towering dreadnaught
after dreadnaught. till finally felt the
firm deck of one beneath my feet. 1t
seemed to me as if motion were not an
attribute of these great gray ships;
they must have blended thus into the
gray scene always. The Illusion was
short lived.
Having been welcomed in the ward
room L had sought the captains extra
cabin. which had been assigned to me,
and was there ruefuIly inspecting the
dripping contents of my suit case-it
had suffered what the Navy calls a
washout on the little steamer-when
an officer arrived to know If I cared
TO see a little practice in night firing
before dinner. cared. and was provid-
ed with sea boots and cotton, the lat
ter Tor my unaccustomed ears.
BY devious dark ladders I was con-
the ship was under way. What hap
pened during the next hour is anoth-
er story. but in the morning after
breakfast I was transferred, with
her. had scarce made the acauaint-
ance or the wardroom when her COM
pany was electrified by the admiraPs
order to be ready to put to sea within
TWO hours. For most of that time,
with high personal enthusiasm, /
watched their quick and quiet prepare
tons Then the crushing order came,
The American journalist must be
ready to leave the ship at any moment"
MY still damp gear was soon repacked
in my suit case. and 1 followed It over
the side into a drifter which had been
quickly requisitioned to take me to the
nagship. I had barely set foot on her
when the flag lieutenant, whose charge
I became. called my attention to the
departure OF battle squadron, in which
recognized the two ships I had last
peen on. So swiftly and silently did
the formation leave the harbor that it
was gone before a 1andsman without
expert assistance might have observed
After tea they sent me to my present
SNIP where !! have settled down. be-
her crew are specializing about getting
bit of leave. have settled down on
berthe fourth ship / boarded within
twenty-four hours-with a realizing
ina IMMUNITY Is HOC only the
watchword. but. in the fourth year Of
war. the practice of the British navy
If ] still doubted it. l had but to look
up the other day to see a squadron of
the battle cruiser fleet. silently steam
ing into harbor from Somewhere" in
GLIDING two ships on which I was once
royalty entertained, and two, even
more marvellous in construction, which
have been launched since then. I had
but to see, later on. the return of the
battle squadron I had seen depart, fol-
lowed by trawler full of German
prisoners taken in a little action. which
these big ships had gone out to make
sure had nothing more behind it.
AS for the myriad small craft about
this harbor. they never rest-or If they
do. have not discovered when. for I
have been on deck at all hours Of the
night, to find the mstill coming and
going. Albeit silently-for / have never
been in a spot where so much goes on
with so little noise. APPLY is it called
which come nea rtheir acme
1.-THE silent fleet" Silent and sleepless
in the British navy. and which go far
toward making it fnvincible.