South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-07

ports in an effort TO prevent the /
I American troops getting to France /
ia time for taking an active part in /
/ the spring drive.
Gratified by Numbers Saved.
II had been accepted that trans !,
ports would be attacked but there I
was strong hope entertained that /
/ the protection plans Of the navy de- /
I partment would checkmate the Ger |
man efforts. And. while there was /
; the deepest regret over the appar- I
/ ent loss Of life in this latest sink I
! ing of a transport. officials here !
pointed out that the large number /
\ Of saved was an eloquent tribute 10 /,
the effective measures that had been \
planned TO meet such attacks.
Until the complete story OF the |
attack reaches washington officials (
/ did not care 20 comment on the eff |
/ cacy Of the convoy. 1t was accept !
| ed. OF course. that the navy had |
done its full part and that the Ger
mans hal managed 10 get a trans
port was accepted simply as one Of /
the fortunes OF war.
Already Secy Baker has let il be /
known the United States has trans 4
ferred overseas more troops than \
Canada has sent during the entire /
{ war period and it can hardly be ex-
[ pected that the enormous volume 4 |
shipping now on the seas can keep |
making the trips with perfect i'm
munity
sorrow over Loss OF Life.
Deepest sorrow everywhere was !
| expressed over the loss of life. 1t ]
was remarked that it was a national \
guard outfit which had suffered the |
| first big blow for the army on the /
sea. To Michigan and Wisconsin |
will go that place in history.
The news came TO Washington as !
/ a severe shock No intimation af /
/ disaster was allowed 10 become /
/ known until about 10 o'clock last /
night when Sec'y OF War Baker was !
hurriedly summoned to the depart |
ment A few minutes later George !
/ Creel. head Of the bureau Of public !
| informa ton reached his office and !
then announcement was made 10 I
| the newspapers that the first load !
| ed transport had been sunk in the /
Atlantic The early news was most ]
I n Id llllAlS d. II BldNth NAAt hAAtAbNA VI /
missing n more than 1000. II caus- |
ed a chill OF horror everywhere. Sol !
/ diers are expected to be killed IN /
! action but TO be drowned like rats I
/ IT, a trap in a sinking transport is !
I a much sadder fate. A short time /
/ later, however, the news was receiy- |
/ co that other survivors had been !
\ landed at another Irish port AMI /
/ this buOyed the hope that the loss
/ of life would be comparatively |
/ small.
Pres't Wilson was in the theater
when the news of the disaster
reached Washington. No word OF
the tragedy was allowed to reach
/ the president although before he
| left il was likely that his party was
/ the only one that had not received
at least an inkling of the sad news.
, The secret service guard saw to il
/ that no one was allowed to ap-
| proach the president and it was not
I until the return to the white house
that he learned of the loss of the
/, Tuscania.
As the president passed through
the crowd en- route to his waiting
patriotic fervor that seemed even TO
amaze him. The waiting men and
women were cheering their tribute
to the brave men who had lost their
lives in the wintry waters of the At
lantic ocean.
There was another demonstration
of a similar sort in the National
Press club where Mai Frederick
! Palmer, chief censor for Gen.
! Pershing and now in this country
explaining the manner in which the
/ United States have entered the war
was speaking Palmer was handed
a slip of Taper with the story of the
/ disaster as he ended his talk. He
/ read it and then said:
Gentlemen. this is bad news, |
very bad news"
He then read the war depart !
nlents first announcement
But" he resumed with flashing !
/ eyes. there is a rea, American |
army in France tonight The deaths !
| of these boys of ours viii De !
avenged g hundred times over"
These two incidents accurately |
/ describe how the rational capital |
/ received the dread word.
1t was in order to allay the APP |
prehensiOn of the entire country /
/ that the war department early to- /
/ day made public the identity of the |
units that were on board the Tus- /
coma. 1t was a military secret Of /
/ course. and in making it public the /
4 United States government kept its /
word that it would deal frankly /
/ with the people regarding disas- /
/ tiers. other countries have kept all /
such information from their public I.
| but Sec'y of War Baker and his ad- |
visers decided that TO follow this eX-
ample would infict unnecessary 4
misery on many who knew their |
loved ones had been ordered over
/ seas
Officials said today that the sink 4
/ ing of the Tuscania was another en-
/ dorsement of their demand that /
none but high speed transports be /
sent through the danger zone. AL
though nominally an 1S-knot vessel |
I the former Cunarder could make \
under present rating not to exceed /