The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-15

SG1d the commander to me; they thought they were going to miss a scrap" That was months ago. That light cruiser has been looking for you and you cannot be found.
 . Now and then the navy gets what is called 8. "jerk.'' That is, the wire
 less tells there are indications you are
 coming out. It is better news than
 an announcement in Parliament that
 everybody is to have double pay.
 Every Jack Tar is as keen as an or
 dinary Englishman is at a football match when his town is winning
 but that is a simile possibly beyond your comprehension. They are like lads, let out of school; they are hot stuff The ships are all in trim for imme- diate action: even the shells are by the guns. Though under one, two, tthree, and four hours notice, 1t is the pride of every ship to be ready in half the time.
 You've been out all right. But you don't come out to fight. You come out for little manoeuvring of the High Sea Fleet. as you did at Jutland. I you remember. though; all of you did
 not get home. You get notice our Grand Fleet is anxious to meet you But you do not appear to sportsmen. You skiddaddle back to your marine dug-auts of "a $ Kiel Canal. And our ships have to return with Tight off, The men strafe you with words as they cannot do it with shells; they are fled up'' with disappointment; they get bored with the interminable | waiting for the big event which you
 will not allow to take place The crew has to fall back on boxing com petitions; as they cannot fight you they have, to fight each other.
 Do you know the men who watch your retreats year in and year out?
 It is those who control our destroyers
 In all kinds of weather-summer,
 winter, fair and dirty, they are the : sswatch-dogs. One or two of your boats
 may elude them in mist; but if your
 fleet puts forth it cannot go far with Tout 8 wireless message going to SAd- mfral Beatty giving him the news. These destroyers are the most
 dauntless, restless branch of the Bri- tish naval service I was having a l pipe of tobacco in the cabin of the
 commander of one of our biggest des- l troyers. He was bored with his in numerable trips near your seaboard and nothing doing. He laughed that you, being afraid to fight, are trying to kill the British navy through bore dom. He laughed at your destroyers.
 He seemed to know a lot about them
 He said that a German destroyer creeps out from the base only once I in three months, that it runs around for only forty-eight hours, and then returns, saying 1t has failed to see the
 British fleet, which must be hiding lin some Scottish or Irish bay. Of
 course, you do not believe that it is true. 14
 ; But. no douht, there are many Ger
 mans who believe their High Sea
 Fleet is constantly roaming, the seas,
 and that 1t is the Grand Fleet that shirks. Funny, isn't it! This con-
 ,mander has been in several 1'scraps,,' :. when you were caught unawares or when you thought you had a tremen- .l dous superiority in numbers.
 And when he had knocked one of , lyour destroyers to bits, and rescued Its commander, he said, 'sI showed the German over my ship. But he chiefly 7 wanted to know whether in my opin- , ion he had fought well, whether he
 had managed his ship all right, what , mistakes he had made in handling Iheri Iftold him that he had put ur : a jolly good fight.''
 wa t British Fleet noticed they never said : anything nasty against you individu 3 ally. Englishmen are not in the hab l 1t of understanding their oppon t ents. But they were scornful abou l those who have the direction of you |, High Sea Fleet never giving 1t
 chance to reach 'The Day."
 Q If there are any of you who ar, |. eager. it must be ga1ling, to knov t that youI high admirals have nor D discretion than courage. It must b.
 distressing to some of you. after year a of preparation and building a b1 t fleet, to be told by your chiefs it mus s not be put to decisive test. Yo1 2 bluffed. What kind of stories do yo ]. tell them when they ask you whe "a you were last at sea?
 IF The Germans seem to have gon t nap on submarines" said British of # ficer to me. We also have got sub a marines. But they cannot be use
 in sinking your mercantile marine be Ie [cause you have not got single ol o potato barge afloat. But our subma h rtnes are, wonderful as you may fin d out one of these days if your flee IS shows an ounce of inquisitiveness Iri I had never been down in a sub d Emarine till I visited our Grand Flee e And when chubby-faced lad, it
 commander, took me down was in l. deed surprised. It was of the lates l. pattern, and the only thing am goin h to tell you about 1t is that it is ma t. chinery. machinery, machinery-the u is the only way I can describe the ir
 terior. M
 1t How bright and smooth the torpe IF does were! How captivating it wa ss foV me to work the periscope an d look at the waters and the sfiI ot around! How interesting it was d- watch the electric disc giving instru. ,hi tions till there was the red flash wit II the one word "Fire!" You real % ought to give these latest K class sut 10 marines an opportunity of showin
 what they can do.
 al We .crouched and cfawled an lg pushed at an iron door. for was m be shown the wireless room. The1 le was an obstruction; so that there hs e. to be more pushing till it yielde
 Dear me; it was the operator havin D. an afternoon snooze. I expect that I l IoI +~ [