The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-06-05
AMERICAN SHIPS ON THE
TRAIL OF THE U=BOATS
Important Information Established Is
to the Effect that U-bo. that
Sank American Ships is of
Cruiser Type and at Least
225 Feet in Length

225 Feet in Length
Washington, June 4.-Tne German
man U-boats which have taken a toll
Of eleven American ships off the New
York and New Jersey coast within tue
last ten days are either successfully
hiding, ready to strike at the next
safe target, or streaking away for a
secret base Of refuge and new sup
plies.
No officer Of the United tates navy
has yet had look az the prowling
raiders. The evidence that they have
been in American waters exists only
in the known record of destruction and
statements of the hapless civilian sail
ors, some of whom were prisoners for
many days.
The facts relating to ships de-
stroyed are irrefutable, but it has not
been established definitely that more
than one Uboat has penetrated
American home waters. There is moth
ing In the official reports to verify
the statement that five enemy sub:
marines have been seen off the Vir-
g:nia capes.
Probably a Decoy
Navy officials consider it highly
probable that the object reported as
the schooner Edward NJ Gpie, off
Barnegat, N. j., or Sunday, was moth
ing more than decoy.
This is summary of the report
Secretary of the Navy Josepaus DAN
leis is understood to have made at to-
days meeting of the cabinet at the
White House.
The president is said to have been
informed that every available navy
ship in home waters is being employed
in the search for the enemy vessel or
vessels.
The important information which
has been established, according to
Secretary Daniels, is that the U-boat
which carried out the operations
against American shipping was of the
cruiser type and at least 225 feet in
length.
The reported statement of the Ger
man commander that he had bee:
away from his home base for approx
lmately two months is by no means
regarded as an impossibility. The
embarrassing question is where has
the raider been in the time intervein-
ing before the date of the first sink
ing off the Atlantic coast, which was
about May 25.
If this could be explained the mat
American continent could be more
easily solved There would also be
less apprehension concerning the
number Of mines scattered in the
lanes OF coastwise ocean traffic.
Replenishing Food Supplies
Even If there is no base, there is
official basis for the opinion that the
raider has been able to replenish
stores Of both food and fuel from the
vessels known to have been DESTROYED.
Under such favorable conditions, it
is asserted the U-boat may have been
in the vicinity Of the United States
Tor many weeks and still continue its
depredatlons, If successful in dodgine
the fleet now taking part in the sea
hunt.
Apparently the German pirate skip
per did not idle away his time along
the Atlantic coast when there were
ships IN sight which he dared attack.
Mines are thought to have been plant
ed IN several districts. Discovery of
one OF these mines off the Delaware
capes was announced by the nayy de-
partment in the following statement.
the navy department has received
a report from the commandant of the
fourth naval district that at II O'Clock
today naval mine sweeper operat-
iHs VI! VIC beia"are capes picked up
one mine.
This is the same general location
m which the tnaker Pratt was sunk
yesterday afternoon.
"The movements Of shipping are be-
ing carefully regulated, and the mine
sweeping is, of course, being con-
tinued."
1t is stated authoritatively that the
mine, which was Of German manu-
tacturc, had been anchored slightly
below the surface of the water, in or
der to avoid detection.
W-S-S
REPORTS U-BOAT
OFF CAROLINAS