American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-07-16
THE MERCY CALL OF THE
SEA.
BY E. c. Pipp.

'HhA AAAAhN . kkAHA Ra Ill 1ARANAaA
ruthless warfare on both passenger
and freight shipping on the cea
international law on destruction of
%belligerent and neutral shipping is
clear and simple-and humane 50 far
as there can. be humanity in warfare.
The rule provides that before a boat
is sunk the destroyer must rescue the
passengers and make them safe; then,
under certain rules, it is legal TO sink
the boat.
But Germany developed the sub
marine, and submarines can act only
as snakes Of the sea.
The old rule Of warfare, the old
agreement, the old pledge of honor,
given as men and as nations, did not
suit the German method of warfare as
applied by the submarine, so honor
and the given word had to go, and
the Germans deliberately sent boats
and passengers to the bottom of the
ocean without warning.
But worse than that has been her
action.
With the development of wireless
telegraphy came the wireless call, or
mercy call, the S. o. S. call of the
sea. A boat in trouble could send up
that call and other boats receiving it
would rush to the rescue.
Now, as a result of German prac-
tice, in crossing the ocean both ways
we could receive wireless messages
but send out none.
The boat was kept dark at night.
No one on deck was permitted TO have
a flash light or to have a cigar, for
fear the light would reveal the steam
er's location to the enemy craft. 1t
was the same with wireless, nothing
was sent for fear Fritz would pick it
up and sink the steamer-and he was
sinking enough as it was. We had to
make quick turns on two occasions
to get agay.
If a steamer hears an S. o. S. call,
the steamer has now to continue on
its way, heading not the call. The
officers on the steamer state the rea-
son for that is that two German sub
marines had been known to get to-
gether. send out a distress call, and
then when a ship came on an errand
of mercy. send torpedoes into the ship
and destroy 1t.
Bombing London.
London is always warned when
German airplanes cross the English
channel. A watch is always kept at
the coast. AS soon as the word gets
to London whistles are blown, lights
are put out; the city, already dark
ened, is made darker. and people seek
safety wherever they can.
The German airplanes usually come
over in fleets of six, seven or eight.
When they approach the city. London
puts up a curtain of shrapnel fire
about the city.
That is, many big guns, powerful
enough to shoot two or three miles
in the air. are kept in certain positions
and fired constantly so long as the
enemy planes are lowering near. The
guns are not aimed at the planes, but
so many of them are fired that it is
almost impossible for a plane to get
over the city without being hit.
Most planes find the fire so hot that
the pilots turn back. but frequently
one or two get through and do their
damage.
II is said. and the authority seemed
{ good, that il cost London 800. 600 for
powder and shells every time they
have to fight off German airplanes
and a fight takes place on nearly
every clear moonlight night. There is
a constant booming of guns of defense
for Two or three hours at a time.
The planes come up the Thames
. river and locate the city by counting
bridges that cross the river.
Zeppelins quit coming some time
ago. That is because the British in
vented a shell that would set the
Zeppelin on fire. SO long as British
shells merely p%unctured the bottoms
of the Zeppelins the Germans didn't
mind. but with the inflammable shell
they restrict their raids to the air
planes.
, The object is to t~errorize the Brit
S ish women and children in the hope
7 OF bringing England TO a German
peace.
I They terrorize many of the women
and children, but the effect is direct
ly opposite that sought by the raid
E ers, for it only leads the British PEG
pie to resent the inhuman type OF
$ warfare. makes them fight the harder
to down the militarism that orders
5 il. More than that. it helps TO arouse
, all Christendom against the brutal
warfare of Germany.
Four of these raids were made in
the -four weeks that | was in London
e In three of them an airplane got
Z through and each time women anG
r children were killed.
1t is probably true that the Ger
! mans try TO hit definite objects II
their flight. but the difficulty in aim
ing well can be realized if you car
e imagine yourself on a fast flying ex
press train on the edge of a precipice
and trying to throw a missile from &
car window to hit an object in a can.
o yon two miles below you.
o The man in the bomb-throwing
r airplane is flying at the speed of a
least eighty or ninety miles an hour
l. The British guns keep him somethin.
like two miles above the city, posibl,