The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1918-06-05
Ii TOLL OF U-BOAT
NOW IN HIDING OR
SEEKING SECRET BASE
coNnNuEp rRosf PACE ONE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
This Is q summary Of the report
which Secretary of the Navy .Jo-
sephus Daniels II understood to
have been made at yesterdays meet
ing of the Cabinet st the white
House.
The President d said to have been
informed that every available navy
ship In home waters is being en-
ployed in the search for the enc
my vessel or vessels.
ID or Cruiser Type.
The most important information
which has been established. accord
ing to Secretary Daniels, is that
the U-boat which carried out the
operations against American ship
ping was Of the cruiser type. and
at least 225 feet in length.
The reported statement Of, the
German commander that he had
been away from his home base for
approximately two months is by no
means regarded as an impossibility.
The embarrassing question is
where the raider has been in the
time intervening before the late of
the first sinking on the Atlantic
Coast which was about May rs.
II this could be explained the
matter of a secret German base on
the 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.
Had Favorable Conditions.
Even u there 10 no base, there Is
Official ground for the opinion that
the raider has been able to replen-
ish stores of both food and fuel
from the vessels known to have been
destroyed. Under such favorable
conditions Il is asserted the U-boat
may have been in the vicinity Of the
United States for many weeks and
still continue its depredstions, II sue
cessful In lodging the feet now TAX
ing part In the sea hunt
Apparently the German pirate
skipper did not idle away his time
along the Atlantic coast when there
were ships In sight which he dared at
tack. Mines are thought to have been
planted IN several districts. Discov-
cry Of one of the mines on the Della
ware Capes was announced yesterday
by the Navy Department in the fol-
lowing statement:
Mine Below Surface.
"The Navy Department has re-
ceived a report from the command
ant OF the Fourth Naval District
that at II o'clock today a naval
mine sweeper, operating of the Della
ware Capes. picked up one mine.
This is In the same general loca-
ton as that In which the tanker
Pratt was sunk yesterday afternoon.
The movements Of shipping are
being carefully regulated and the
mine sweeping Is Of course being con-
tinued."
It Is stated authoritativeIy that the
mine, which was OF German manu.
facture, had been anchored slightly
below the surface of the water In
order TO avoid detection.
Secretary Stays Late.
Secretary Daniels and the entire
executive stan of the Navy De-
partment were on duty until late
hour again last night. The Sec
rotary kept in constant touch with
all reported movements of navy
ships engaged in the search and
frequently communicated by tele-
phone with distant coast points.
A report from the Fourth Naval
District that the steamer Herbert
L Platt, the tanker laden with oil
and thought to have been q COM
plete loss. had been salvaged, was
received with profound qualification
at the Department and b. the Ship
ping Board. tbs Pratt was being
lowed to New York. the message in
dictated.
Douglass Lands Passengers.
Closely following this message
came another from the Fourth Ma
val District telling that the
sooner Douglass had landed more
than a hundred passengers from the
Carolina. The confirmation Of the
sinking Of the Porto Rico liner was
received through press dispatches
earlier in the day. 1t has not yet
been ofncially reported by the navy
patrol.
A brief bulletin announced that
sixteen persons from the Carolina
had been lost Details were not
given.
In the absence of information as
to the complete destruction of the
Carolina there is serious apprehen-
sion lest the German U-boat COM
mander with a part Of his own
crew might turn the passenger ves-
sci into a raider. The size and speed
Of the Inflated passover ship is said
| to make it a most desirable prize,
provided there was time to take II
over. and sufficient fuel available.
Tankers Short.
Chairman Hurley. of the Shipping
Board. was greatly pleased with the
news that the Herbert l. Pratt
would be saved. There is a great
shortage of ships of the tanker or
oil carrying class.
Mr.. Hurley clings stubbornly to the
theory that the main purpose of the
German Admiralty in sending u