Evening star., 1918-02-07
Our First Transport Loss.


Ever since we began to send troops to
France the possibility Of a torpedoed
transport has been in the minds Of the
American people as menace. 1t has
s'been recognized that this country could
not expect to escape wholly from this
speril. Scores, hundreds of ships have
been. sunk. merchantmen and transport
sand hospital ships, and it is incredible
sthat our troopships should go unscathed
Two of our transports have been tor
Ipedoed on their way back, one sunk and
.,one disabled. An attack in force was
made late in June upon a fleet of trans
- ports and was repulsed by the convoy.
= Now the long feared disaster mas
come. One of our troopships has been
rsunk, with loss of life now estimated
at about 21o. That the loss was not
I heavier is matter of great fortune,
& doubtless due to the near presence of
conveying ships and in part, perhaps,
to the discipline OF the men on board
the transport. The circumstances of the
Sinking are not yet disclosed.
j Nothing is so we'll calculated to arouse
the American public to the full
ssense of the magnitude of the war en-
ferprise upon which we are embarked as
tthis disaster. It viii surely iniame
fthe fighting spirit of the people. This
.sis the first heavy loss that has been suf-
fered in war. The great pity is that
these men have died without a chance
to defend themselves, that their sacrifice
has been in vain as far as the actual
e6ghtng IS concerned. And vet their
sioss is to be reckoned as part Of the
aehance Of war, and in its reaction upon
!. our country it viii prove of national ad-
e vantage.
There will be great rejoicing in Ger
t,many over the sinking of the Tuscania.
Hatred of Americans is now the domi-
nant sentiment there. They hate us be-
e4cause we supplied the allies in the early
they have always done the same when
Fwar was raging to which they were not
parties. They did it in 1898 when we
were fighting Spain, selling to our
senemy. They hate US because we resented
sathe sinking of our ships and because we
invoked the principles of International
- law in protest, because we checked the
,,Work of their spies in this country who
were destroying our industries and put
ting bombs on our ships and conducting
!. poisonous propaganda They hate US
! finally because we broke relations and
Joined the allies with the declaration of
'swar based upon their aggressions and
treaeheries and intrigues with our
'-eaeighbors
/ Other losses may be expected. Con-
centration OF the German submarines
part of the program for the long herald
esed spring offensive. The German high
ie command will try its utmost to prevent
.sour putting men enough in France to be
"a factor in the fight on that front. But
/ this will not deter us from sending more
men and still more men. We must re-
y double our efforts at shipbuilding, to
,s replace the losses already suffered and
,s those that must be expected. We must
| speed our preparations in all lines. This
single blow must be made to react upon
Germany through an increase in our
.rar- making efforts in every direction.
ss Germany has at last scored against
MS, but this blow, legitimate as it may
= he as a stroke of war, merely adds to
ethe reckoning against the Prussian power
(which cannot be settled until peace has
!, been gained through victory