New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-02-01
Tells Graduating Glass Not to For
get Exploits Of War Heroes
URGES MERCY FOR ENEMY
RccOuntS Daring Dcc-.s OF Command
crS and Men Who Have Already
Went Down Fighting.

Annapolis. Md, Feb. /. '"rhe
United States naval reserve force now
embracing $4,000 men and $500 otli-
GERS is larger than the regular navy
when war was declared, and three
times as large as in tho Spanish Am
erican war;. Secretary Daniels de-
clarcd today in addressing the spe-
cial graduation class Of 500 reserve
officers at the naval academy
This is d wonderful record for a
service authorized IS months ago.
he continued, "and it's creation has
made possible many phases of the di-
versitied work the navy has been
called on to do"
Mr.. Daniels told the young officers,
who have successfully completed the
prescribed IA weeks course, that
when they left Annapolis today they
would find important assignments
awaiting them and their achievements
would depend on themselves.
The ideal of the navy in war, he
said, was contained in Benjamin
Franklin's order to tho navy's first
captain, John Paul Jones, to show at
all times a "tender regard for non
combatants."
''If YOU wish to find the difference
in Americas method of warfare and
Germanys it is embodied in Frank
Inns Instructions to Jones'" Mr.. Dan
iels said. For the American regards
war as q tragedy.'
Much of the SeCretary'S address was
taken up with Il recital of the bril-
liant achievements Of the American
destroyer tlOtillA in the war and the
bravery Of American gun crews
aboard merchantmen.
Read the story of the Cassin," he
said, (which, though struck by q, tor
pedo and seriously crippled refused
ITO return to port as long as there ap-
peared to be a chance of engaging
the submarine The whole country
was thrilled by the account of the
exploit of the Tanning and the Mich
olson in destroying a German sub
marine and capturing its entire crew.
The British admiral in commencing
officers with men said: The whole
affair reflects credit on the discipline
and training Of the United States ho-
tila."
'The first officer lost in the present
conflict, Lieut.. Clarence G. Thomas,
after the Vacuum was sunk, cheered
his freezing men as they were tossed
and he at last perished from cold and
exposure. After the Jacob Jones was
sunk, Lieut.. (junior grade) 5. F. Falk,
though weakened by shock and expos
ure. swan from raft to raft. to equal
ize the load and keep at1oat the men
who were awaiting rescue, and in the
night before SuccOr arrived, pe1Shed
Let us not forget those two gun
nors of the Antilles who stood by their
guns until it was too late to escape.
The contests of the Silver Shell when
sent down the submarine when at
tackled it. of the MOreni on winch the
men stayed at their guns until the
flames f1ared up TO the top or the
smokestacks. of the Cam pana, whose
gunncrs fought for hours until thelr
ammunition was exhausted. of the j.
L. I,uCkenbach, hit nine times ana
temporarily disabled, fought sub
marine for four hours before AID ar
rived and later managed to reach port
under her own steam, OF the Armenia,
and a dozen others potable enough
to be recorded in naval history.