The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-04

Apparently the Germans took care in each instance to give the crews a chance for their lives. Holding men aboard the raider under the conditions that sur rounded her was an unusual display of humanity, it was pointed out which did not conform to German practices in Flu ropean war zones.
 The fact that these prisoners were later reea sed and sent ashore lent color to the idea that once the mask was off, the Germans wished to advertise their doings off the coast to the fullest pos sible extent.
 The attack on the Cole was well timed, i it was noted, with the probable arrival on shore of the men released by the raiders In fact, there were indications that the whole programme of yesterday and today was designed to impress the American people by it's suddenness and | the number of craft reported destroyed. within a few hours time. Apparently, time for the arrival of the released men was calculated and the open attacks started so as to become known at about the same moment
 ANOTHER EVIDENCE Another evidence of the object of the raid being other than to destroy ship ping and set up a blockade on this side of the ocean was seen in the type of l U-boat described A 200-foot vessel would be an S00-tonner, similar to the I U-5S, which visited the United States be- 1 fore the war, calling at Newport aud
 leaving a trail of sunken allied mer- chant craft behind as she scuttled for home The destruction caused by the l U-53 at that time is the only previous | closeup view of the war the people or ] the United States have had
 | It is now known that intimationS Of | the intention of the German authorities | to raid Atlantic waters on this side had req ched the British officials and through l them, the Washington government, some l time ago. The vessel that brought Prince Arthur of Connaught to this country, en route to Japan, it was learned, was warned by the British armiralty and I followed a zig-zag course to the United States from Bermuda. This suggested | that the real objective of the raider, which has turned to marrying American coastwise shipping, might have been to 1 capture a member of the British royal
 family. The prince reached the United States about the time that the three SchoonerS wrecked off the Nlrslnla | capes were attacked.
 1 The increased activity of the American naval coast patrol forces dates back 1 sometime, however.
 | UNTRACEABLE RUMORS ] It is known that untraceable rumors ] of the coming of the U-boats to the AL l lantic coast have been industriousty | circulated Tn various Atlantic ports for I sometime. It is assumed that they Were I the work of German sympathizers who | probably had some knowledge that raiding attack on shipping on the At lantic coast was in prospect. Authors of sucn reports are being hunted ashore as the raider is at sea. The increasing | distance which 1 being torpedoed recently led naval of- l ficials to conclude that an outbreak on | this side might become a reality. l The increased effectiveness of the anti l submarine patrols and operations off 1 the British coast and in the North sea | have driven the U-boats away from their usual hunting grounds to some ex- l tent. Consequently orders for increasci vigilance ty the coastal patrols went out it is understood, about month ago. That order probably was respons- ble for some of the circumstantal ae, i counts carried from coast points re- | gently saying that U-boats had been sighted in the vicinity.
 1 AMERICAN LOSSES SMALL | The losses of the American merchant l marine have been almost negligible compared with those of the allies and neutrals and there is little fear here 1 that raids or this side will make any ! substantial inroads. Officials in close :, touch with the shipping situation de- | clared tonight their belief that even tae i closure of American ports for few I dave would not have any disastrous ct i feet on the movement of supplies to the | American Ierces abroad and the ship- | ment of f4odstuffs to the allies. The umo; mt of cargo held in port in that time will be of itself large, but in com | parison with the enormous totals all ready sent will be small
 l We are not running on such a close
 margin abroad that even weeks n- 1 terruption would have any effect on 1 the war asserted one official
 | Precautions against vessels not under | government control supplying informa- | ton or fuel to submarines were put into l effect months ago by the shippms
 1 board Stringent regulations must be | observed before any vessel can obtain
 bunker coat or fuel oil in an American 1 port 1le destinations of all vessels
 carrying out is known and their course
 kept constantly in view.
 1 MORE PRECAUTIONS
 As precartion against continued raid
 ing on the coast, the question of afni-
 ing all eoastwise shipping was tanan
 up tolay Secretary McAdoo had tuv
 matter under consideration for railroad
 vessels under his authority. Steps %
 put guns aboard all craft may be taken
 without delay,
 Toaays news revived speculation over
 the fate of the missing naval collier I Cyclops. which has not been heard
 from since she sailed from Barbados
 three months ago. Navy officials, how
 I ever, saw nc clue to solution of the
 mystery in the appearance of the sub
 marine raiders, which probably were
 in Europe when the collier disappeared,