Williston graphic., 1918-07-25

German warfare has rendered USE
less the mercy of the sea.
We all know that the final act which
brought America into the war was
Germany's declared and executed
ruthless warfare on both passenger
and freight shipping on the ocean.
International law on destruction of
belligerent and neutral shipping is
clear and simple-and humane so 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 60, 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 distress 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
flash light or to smoke cigar. for
fear the light would reveal the steam.
er's location to some enemy craft. 1t
was the same with wireless, nothing
was sent for fear a 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 oc-
casions to get away.
If a steamer hears an S. 0. S. call,
the steamer now has to continue on
its way, needing not the call. The
officers on the steamers state the rea-
son for that is that two German sub
marines had been known to get to-
gether, send out q distress call, and
then when ship came on an errand
Of mercy, send torpedoes into the ship
and destroy it.
RA-h;u~ os,1nS. ".
London: is always warned when
German airplanes cross the Enghsn
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 curtain of shrapnel flre
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. me
guns are not aimed at the planes, but
SO many Of them are fired that 1t IS
almost impossible for q plane to get
over the city without being hit.
Most planes find the fire 50 hot that
the pilots turn back, but frequently
one or two get through and do their
damage.
1t is said, and the authority SEEM
ed good, that it cost London 100000
Tor power and shells every time they
nave to fight off German airplanes,
and fight takes place on nearly every
clear moonlight night. There is
constant booming of the guns of de-
tense 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.