The sun., 1918-10-20
Wonderful Work of
Converted Yachts on
: Convoy Duty Makes
an Epic of the War
Few Have Heard
By HERMAN WHITAKER,
Author of The Planter" The Settler"
Over the Border" &c.

u nouSnIs, lDe redouDtaDie lin fIeet
that sailed out of Hampton Roads last
year to pick up the glove Of defiance cast
on the worlds waters by Fritz of the
Submarines.
They had not been designed for such
uses. Their wealth of polished teak and
mahogany and glittering brass would have
blinded the skipper of an ocean tramp.
Their cabins were luxurious boudoirs for
the pretty women and children they car
NED In summer weather up and down Long
Island Sound.
Until, ike the black bursting of a
typhoon, the war swept them into its seeth-
ing caldron their snowy decks had known
no harder usage than the patter of little
feet dancing under canopies of eolored
lanterns. Up to the moment that Uncle
Sam stretched out his lean sinewy hand
and gathered them in they were merely
pleasure baubles of our multimillionaires.
We common folk who never have any
money Of our own love to picture our plu-
tocrats as notorious money grabbers with
out conscience or patriotism. When asked
by Uncle Sam TO lease their yachts we
would know without telling just how they
would behave-gouge him for all he was
worth. So just listen TO the shameful way
IN which they behaved.
Chartered for 81 and Equipped.
Take, for instance, the owner Of the
yacht in which 1 cruised last month in
French waters. He happens to be vice
president of one Of New York's largest
banks, therefore in Socialist eyes the king
robber Of them all Well, not only did he
lease the yacht to the Government for the
enormous sum of 81 year but also spent
thousands of his own good money fitting
her for service.
For two weeks q sacrilegious gang Of
ships carpenters hammered spikes into
the cabin mahogany regardless, fitting it
with hunks for the crew; nor is the worth
Of his sacrifice diminished by the fact that
it had all to be torn out again. For naval
commanders have ideas of their own. The
morning after Uncle Sam acquired the
yacht perfectly ruthless Captain turned
loose a perfectly shameless crew with
pickaxes, and when the shades of evening
closed on their labors five carloads Of
fancy woodwork lay on the dock.
A bakers dozen Of tin toy yachts going
TO wari 1t did seem ridiculous-like some
other famous ventures. Against one Ger
man raider they would have stood about
the same chance as Left Encsonis galley
or the Pinto of Columbus-and they were
just about as big. 1t seemed almost that
any respectable war vessel they happened
to meet en- route would pinch them as q
policeman picks up lost child and lead
them back to their mother ship.
But they sailed on and with the excep-
ton of an occasional half stick in the
papers were lost TO view in the war fogs
that blanket the European waters. Un-
seen, unheralded, unheard Of, ignoring
that modern eleventh commandment which
reads: "Give us this day our daily ad,"
that "Tm Toy Fleet" carried on in the
performance of an amazing duty.
Keep Open the Sea Lanes.
What did it dot Well, we all know the
winning of the war is altogether dependent
upon the ability of ourselves and our
allies to maintain sea communications.
Germany acknowledged this when she
chose war with the United States rather
than abandon unrestricted submarine war.
She knew that all she had to do was to
stop us and them from delivering in Eu-
rope our armies, the supplies to maintain
them; also the vast war material con-
tributed by Canada, ourselves, Central and
South America, the Pacific Isles, New
Zealand, Australia, Africa ard all that
Asian trade which comes around the Cape
~ Good Hoy.a The $1,000.