The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-12
BEST TRADITIONS
Of NAVY UPHELD IN
EUROPEAN WATERS
Hundreds of Ships Bearing
Stars and Stripes Are Navi-
eating Barred Zone
U-BOATS SHY AT
AMERICAN GUNNERY
No Longer Able to Lie Quiet
and Shoot, But Must Launch
l heir lorpedoes While On
Run-Navy Men Happy

Washington. Aug. l1.--Yankee sea-
men in the North sea and English
channel are upholding the tradition
set for them by John Paul Jones in
these same waters more than hum
dred years ago. As did the old lofty
spared Bon Homme Richard with
smooth bore, cutlass and consummate
handling Of the sheets and braces out
sail and Outright the proudest ships
OF Britannia's line when Britannia
ruled the waves In 1875. so in 1911 the
youngsters from factory and farm
who have sprang to the hreeches OF
our auickfirers and into the stokeholds
of our swift, sleek destroyers are out
maneuvering and ou,hitting the sub
marine which boosted that it woulc
starve the anti-Teuton world.
There is almost gaiety about the
navy department these days. There
are whispered confahs among officers
who go away with smiles. The de-
tails of the almost daily reports OF
Admiral Sims are beginning to leak
out into the service AS yet for mill
ta-y reasons which he considers good,
Secretary Daniels has refused all
statement of the details of Admiral
Sims reports. Yet even he cannot
deny that they are very satisfying.
May Have solved Problem.
1t looks as IL the problem of the
submarine had been solved. Hundreds
of ships a week bear the Stars and
Stripes through the barred zone.
across which the kaiser said We
might send one ship week painted
like a barber pole. The navy depart
ment liz adhering 10 its pledge to an
nounce any disaster.
NJ CT
The answer is that Yankee gunners
are keeping the submarines below the
sea and that Yankee quartermasters
are learning to lay big ships a
course that would make a polo pony
Jealous. when Uhoat commander
can safely get but one squint at a
target less stable than well con-
ditioned flea his deadly torpedoes go
! astrHy, since Sims squadron learned
the Tava@> ard tar tssy s. to. .es..-, ynas
chantmen and transports. Yankee
gunners when they enter the barred
zone are taking shot AT anything.
They admit this. Floating logs. bits
~ wreckage. even big sea birds. every
thing that bears any resemblance to
= periscope right of feels the crash
% three-inch she'll These things
are shattered because the Yankee gun
crews such as many Of the British
merchantmen carried. These are among
ise best shots of the United States
navy
Take shots.
| From what has been learned of
Admiral Sims reports there have been
real periscopes among these victims.
This is borne out by the apparent
caution which the German has learned
They no longer lie calmly half sub
merged. with engines stopped and
everything ready for a fair launching
o. their torpedoes. They must take
their shots on the run and after but
one glance.
Absolute co ordination between the
Sims patrol of destroyers and our
transports and merchantmen has evil
IDENTITY been attained 1t IL generally
believed that the ships are sent
through previously cleared and always
changed lanes.
Secretary Daniels Is now consult
ing with experts as to how much Of
the detail OF his story can be made
public. When II comes out II should
be one to stir the souls OF every
American who knows the navy and
believes in his country.