The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-04-18
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|AI'T]|'Al|IC''I)|S| us. SHlp
First Shot Fired In Great War When
Submarine Fires at U. S. De-
skroyer Smith.
SHOT MISSED By THIRTY YARDS
Presence Of Enemy SubmcrsibIe Craft
i In American Waters Indicates
Threatened Blockade Begun
SHOT MISSED By THIRTY YARDS

/ WASHINGTON, D. c., April IT.
A German submarine today fired or
the destroyer Smith, about 100 miles
south Of New York.
The presence of enemy submersible
crafts in American waters indicates
that the threatened German submarine
| blocade Of American Atlantic ports
has begun. ~ u
This announcement. was made at
the navy Department.:
Reported from Fire Island light
ship to the naval stations at Boston
and New York at $3.50 a. m, on the
seventeenth, an enemy submarine was
sighted by the U. S. S. Smith running
apparently submerged. Submarine
fired a torpedo atrthe U. S. S. Smith
which missed her by thirty yards:
The wake of the torpedo was plainly
seen crossing the bow. Submarine
disappeared"
.. Verify the Report.
First information of the encounter
came to the navy department in a
rounda bout way from the Boston navy
yards, which picked up the Smiths
report saying they had been fired up
on by German u boat.
The navy department. after COM
municating with Fire Island, Boston,
New York and some other points on
the Atlantic coast announced that the
report of the Smiths encounter had
been substsntiated by official investi-
cation.
At noon no further details were
availa BILE here.
Whether the presence of the Ger
man submarines merely foreshadow
a sporadic raid. such as the U.53 con-
Quoted off the New England coast Or
whether it is the sigma. for the begin
ming of a general submarine blocade
of the Atlantic coast is not known.
Came Not as Surprise.
The attack of the u boat is Ger
many's first recognition Of the state
of war declared by the United States.
1t was stated in Germany soon after
the action ct congress that no agrees,
sive steps would be taken against the
United States. = vi
Practically no American officials be-
lieved this statement, however and
stops to meet aggressive action have
been taken at once. The probability
Of submarine attacks on unpr0te ted
seaboand cities and towns, raids on
shipping within sight OF American
shores, and the submarine blockade
of the principal Atlantic ports with
the purpose Of terrorizing shipping
and people. were expressed.
Last week word came to Washing.
ton in roundabout way that Ger
many WAS about to declare a prohibit
cd submarine zone about the harbors
at Boston, New York, the Delaware
capes. Chesapeake bay, Charleston and
Savannah. This would have included
all the important ports Of the Atlantic
seaboard.
Official Warning Predicted.
1t was said then that an ofllcia'
warning to ucntrals of the prohibited
zone would be issued from Berlin.
Some American officials were disin
clined to credit the report. but the
entente Diplomatic corps here believed
it. and predicted that Germany would
soon carry the submarine campaign'I
to this side OF the Atlantic principally
for the purpose of soaring neutral
shipping away from American harbors
and to "aid the great sguadrons Of
merchant ships which are moving thci|
food supplies to Americas allies. on
the European battle fronts.
Some officials are inclined TO be-
lieve that the lack of a declaration
of 4 prohibited zone in American wat
ers may be due to the crippled condi-
ton Of the communications with Ger
many since the United Statos entered
the war. Without such a declaration
on they point out Germany will incurr
great claims of damage to neutrals i
and will carry on new campaign |
without the color Of legal authority
which she contends the declaration of !
a barred zone lends to.
BY declaring a prohibited zone
around any Of the American ports.
and limiting it to those waters, Ger
many would escape the necessity of |
declaring snd maintaining a general
hlOcaGa al the Atlantic coast line L