Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1918-02-08
SOLDIERS WELL
GUARDED AT SEA
Our Government Takes no
Chances With Pre-
ciOus Lives.

Herman Whitaker, the great
war correspondent, explains how
carefully our soldier boys are
guarded while crossing the ocean.
In a recent article one of our
women writers put question that
is foremost in the minds of all
American mothers at present. In
substance it ran: eve mothers
are willing to give our sons to our
country, but we are not willing
that they should be offered up,
useless sacrifices, on the altars of
inefficiency. We want to know
that they will be properly safe
guarded by land and sea. Are
the transports which are to take
them to France to, be properly
conveyed? Will their comfort
and health be conserved during
transit and upon their arrival?
Are our military operations to be
conducted with wisdom and fore
sight to prevent unnecessary loss
of life?"
These questions are legitimate
and should be answered. It is
just as necessary to maintain a
high morale among the folks at
home as with our soldiers abroad
and this cannot be done on a diet
of doubts and misconceptions.
1t is almost unnecessary to state
that all transports are conveyed.
But the meticulous care which is
now exercised, both in their dis
patch and voyaging, is less known
and very remarkable.
Till the order comes to embark,
the military commandant is not
aware when his troops will leave.
| doubt whether the captain of
the transport knows his course till
after his ship leaves the dock.
Even then it is subject to change
by wireless, and though the YES
sci be in mid-ocean, safe from
espionage, neither passengers nor
crew know anything of the course,
rate of sailing or date of arrival
So you may rest assured, good
mothers of the fine lads who may
be at this moment on the ocean
your government is taking nc
chances with their lives.
When conveyed by destroyerc
transports are not in any case in
much danger. Your destroyer is
as deadly a terror to a submarine
as cat is to a mouse. A "deptf
mine" timed to explode anywhere
between 80 and 100 feet is still
more effective.
Should Sub" escape botf
shots and mines, it is still fal
from being out of danger. Seven
ty miles is about its cruising limit
under water.
Thereafter it must come w
again like a winded diver to star
the Diesel engines and recharg'
its batteries. Called in by wire
less from all around, in the mean
time, its enemies swoop down up
on it. 1t must dive again anC
again; become a hunted thin,
that can only be saved by night
This being the case, whenever ;
"sub" comes up for a "look-see'
and spies transports under con
voy of destroyers, it submerges a
quickly as 1t may and Scuttle
like a scared crab from the dan
gerous vicinity.
| Night, which thus sometime
saves a hard pressed diver, is ais
the friend of the transports
Through its dark shrouds the,
safely pillow their way. With Gus
tomary thoroughness, the Britisl
Admiralty has ascertained tn
distances at which various type
of light can be seen at night.
| give it on the authority of
skeptical skipper, who was mad
to pace off the distance Will
matches were being struck in real
that their flare can be seen fo
nearly three miles. The glow c
a cigarette when inhaled show
for one mile and 200 yards. !
sleeper who turns on the electri