The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1918-06-14
lIB'DATS Still
BUSY OFF ITALY
Spies and Fishermen Help Supply
ard Signal German
CAPTAINS. e i s. =
BASES ON NEUTRAL LAND
Craft Hunt In Grcupa and Have Ac-
eurate Information OF saIlnqs-.
Temptation Too Much for
Fishermen.

Rome.-The Utboat offensive Is still
serious In the Mediterranean. Sub.
martne bases exist In neutral coun-
tries. where information. provisions
and even petrol are supplied to the
German commanders. Some time ago
three Sicilian fishermen were charged
with supplying provisions to an enemy
submarine or Augusta. In the course
Of the trial before the military tribunal
ut Catania evidence was brought to
show that while the fishermen were
out at sea in their boat submarine
rose to the surface and ordered the
three men to so on board.
The commander then Informed them
that two would be kept as hostages
while the third was to go ashore In
the boat and get the fresh provisions
needed. If he returned with them with
In two or three hours the two fisher
men would nots9only be released but
also compensated; otherwise. they
would be killed. The man was warn
ed that If he informed the Italian au-
thoflties the fate Of his two cornpan-
ions would be the same. Naturally
lie man obeyed He returned with
the provisions within the appointed
time and was well paid for his trou.
bic and faithfulness. OF course the
two hostages were released. Evident
~ the fishermen's story was corrohprat-
cd by the evidence of other men, as the
tribunal acquitted the two hostages
md sentenced the man who got the
provisions to ten years hard labor for
neglectng TO Inform the authorities.
csnnot Resist Temptation.
There are thousands Of fishermen In
Italy who lead Il hard life without
earning a living wage and who cam
not resist the temptation of making
money. BESIDES, they are easily in-
timidated by the threats of the cofns
numbers of submarines, who often
sink fishing boats and murder the fish
ernen for the sake Of imposing obedi@
enee. It is reasonably suspected that
fishermen aid submarines iii many
ways. They warn them OF the ap-
proaeh of war vessels and mystery
ships and give them valuable iraforina-
flon about sailings and courses OF con.
yoys Possibly Ii the allies compen-
sated fishermen as well as the conn
nlanders of submarines do satisfac-
tory results would follow.
OF course for obvious reasons full
particulars about the activity of sub.
marines In the Mediterranean cannot
be divulged. There have been instan-
ces of u-boats entering territorial wa
ters at night and exchanging signals
With people on shore. Until recently
enemy citizens We're allowed to re-
/ side In seaport towns and even de-
serted Villages on the coast so thar all
they needed to communicate with SUBJ
marines was q light. Even now Aus.
trians and Germans are interned in
Sardinia, and more ships have been
sunk by submarines 5ff this island
than anywhere else in the Mediter-
ranean. 8 s a
The mail boat between Sardinia and
Clvitavecchia was torpedoed in broad
| daylight only 20 miles off the coast
OF Sardinia. Although she remained
Aiinat for three hours and the wireless
! operator remained on board until the
4 ship sunk aud communicated with q
! nearby naval station, unfortunHtely no
torpedo boats were available to rescue
I the passengers, including many sol-
4 diers. who perished. There seems to
/ be no doubt that the commander of the
I submarine had been informed that
rescue was impossible, as otherwise
!. the torpedoed mail boat would have
been sunk by shell fire.
Cease to Be Dangerous
Other ships have been sunk both of
Sardinia and In other parts of the
Mediterranean very close to the coast
HEder similar circumstances. 1t Is
Significant that whenever enemy citi-
I zens or enemy agents and spies have
i been discovered and arrested In cer-
tain localities where ships were helng
Il sunk by submarines these zones ceased
4 Immediately to be dangerous. Experi-
ence shows that patrolling the route
Of conveys is not sufficient unless the
coast Is we'll watched so that signal
ing To submarines IL prevented. II
seems that U-boats hardly ever use
their wireless even among themselves
lest their messages should be inter-
aen1ed and their whereabouts dlscog~
cred. .
4 The crew Of a ship recently sunk at
night by q, submarine reported to the
authorities that when they had taken
80 the boats and were pulling away
from the sinking ship the submarine
was exchanging flash signals by means
of an electric lamp The night was
VERY dark, and at first the answering
Signals were not visible. but shortly
afterward the flashes OK at least Eve
submarines could clearly be saen.
They were like glow. worms oyer the
sefs, one of the men said describing
he signals. Evidently submarines
l. now keep close together 10 that naa.
tuai protection can DO afforded axdl
sonyoys instead Df masas@ aaaaRs aA,