The sun., 1918-12-23


days that preceded 1914, and has been
prime target for the sheutzenverein
of the silly old Cherman navy ever
since the first hot days Of 1914.
The Mongolia, built at Camden, and
a sister OF the same Manchuria, re-
Gently arrived at a nearby Hoboken
pier with troops aboard, started down
tho Delaware long ago on her way
around the Horn to distant Pacific
waters. The Mongolia went aground
off Brazil. She recovered, went on her
way again, worked a while on the
western waters and stuck her nose
into the coral strands of Midway Reef.
back in September, 1905.
They pulled her of. but not until
things had begun to look serious. In
April. 1907. she went aground in Japa-
nese waters because her skipper Sacri-
feed his ship rather than sink n little
passenger boat which had stupidity got
IN his way. In July, 1910, the Mon
golia went high and dry in the shall
lows off Suruga.
Then the Atlantic Transport Line
took her back to our own Atlantic
waters and. with Skipper Rice In
charge, operating her successfully as
am unarmed and fearless mail and
passenger ship between New York and
England when America decided to get
indignant enough to go 10 war. All
this time the slim and youthful Skip
per Rice was directing the affairs Of
the Mongolia-doing so many things
effectively that such incidents as saw
ing five Jap sailors in the midst of
typhoon in 1913 have been forgotten
even by Skipper Rice.
"All / can tell you about him." said
the executive officer OF the Mongolia,
Lieutenant Commander Hugh Mel.
Walker. u. S. n, yesterday afternoon
as the executive officer and the re-
porter from The sen snuggled into q
stateroom OF tho ship to escape the
rain. 'ts that Capt. Walker is the -
he's the finest-Capt. Rice is the Oh.
what's the use trying to put 1t into
words? That's the kind of man Capt
Rice is. Do make myself clear?"
Perfectly. Mr.. Walker"
Rice Has "Nothing to say"
And then Lieutenant Commander
Walker went on about Capt. Rice
the skipper himself couldn't be in
Guced TO say more than n pleasant
How do you do-there's really moth
ing to say"--the executive officer of
the ship laying stress on the fact that
the leading citizens of Manila, Sep
TENDER 1. 1915, presented to young
Capt. Rice a loving cup. out OF sheer
enthusiasm, the cup being engraved
with the simple inscription. ITO Cap
tain Emery Rice. a Genuine American
Seaman"
And there was the dinner at the
Waldorf many months ago, as Lieu
tenant Commander Walker recalled
when the bigwigs OF the American De-
fence Society presented their medal OF
bravery to the young skipper. because
his Mongolia. while he was in COM
mand of the ship. fired the first shot OF
the war, and sank the first German
sea cootie downed by American gun
ners.
AS has been intlmated. Skipper Rice
once his voice could be heard above the
gradually subsiding, noises which
greeted the arrival OF his Mongolia al
had nothing to say except that his
ship, after an uneventful passage from
'Brest, had brought 4.S20 officers and
msn back to America Then he hur-
ried ashore, and being wifeless, went
straight toward the home of his mar
RED sister. who lives in West Fifty
second street, Manhattan.
Many Wear Decorations.
4, But from other officers aboard the
ship and from the injured and unin-
jured troopers themselves. it was
learned at first hand that the Mon
golia had brought in 15S officers Of the
army. two naval officers, fifteen work
! ers OF the Y. NJ. c. A, Red Cross and
army nurses, S13 wounded soldiers
the balance of the troops aboard be-
| ing the difference between the total OF
! the lesser number just listed and the
grand total of $3.50 soldiers aboard.
| Many Of the men had been decorated
for bravery, their stories being repe.
tition OF the truth brought home sc
often these days to the visitors who
board the incoming troopships thai
every American soldier who had The
| privilege of getting to the front wa
a dodgasted fightin' son of a gun.
| Brighten. Richard Coulter. com
mander of the Eighty-first Brigade
! a son of a general officer in the civil
war-was the ranking army Officer
among the incoming soldiers ABOARD
the Mongolia Also aboard the shiI
were Miss Helen Goff. a Winter Gar
| den favorite, who for many month";
has been permitting our soldiers II
the trenches to gaze upon her beaut,
and listen to her very good voice
thus making the fighting lads bi
more cheerful.
And among the few women passen
gers were two brides-the wife o
Lieut.. A. G.. Reese Lieut Reese beinl
also Rboard). and Mrs. Nicholas Cam
panale. Mrs. Campapale was Mis-
Elizabeth Wood. Massachusetts girl
who went abroad az Y. NJ. c. 4. en-
teTtainer some mon, ago and me
Col. Campanale at the II, =, The Col
onel. who was working Win the in
telligence department of Gen. Per
| shing's staff, and Miss Wood wer
married at the Ritz in Paris October
10. and the Colonel and his bride cam,
up the river yesterday aboard tn,
Mongolia. both quite as happy as tn
returning doughboys who were abou
to step on their own shores again.
The troops on the transport wer,
from the Seventy-third and Seventy
.