Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-02
Cheering a Submarine
BY Sub.Lieut. William McFee

MTRITING, at the present juncture OF
w affairs, Is an unpopular pastime. Tho
town Is given over to scenes Of jubilation.
When left the hotel bar, a moment since,
army officer was being lifted from his
chair (he has lost both legs) by stalwart
United States naval officer, and was thus
vicariously dancing, and singing in sten.
torian voice the Marseillaise to the tune of
'Tipperary." Several other robust con-
valescents were beating time with their
crutches and knocking our hats off. Do
not be alarmed. 1t will be over in an
hour or two. The present paean of re-
joicing Is due simply to the fact that the
pubs close at $3.50. and consequently an
afternoons celebrating has to be crowded
into two and a half hours Of glorious
life.
WYE ARE safely home n, doubt I may
w tell you now that we had our
troubles. We were attacked in a most
skillful manner, and only flrstclass vigi-
lance assisted by certain United States
naval units saved us from the usual finale
in lifeboats We have been tremendously
impressed by the razor-edge keenness Of
your naval officers to get Fritz. Our chaps
are bored. Not careless, but bored. Con-
slider. Some of our company had been
torpedoed more than once. Those f us
to whom the game was fresh were irre-
sistibly. taken with the sporting element.
When the submarine skillfully tore full
ahead Ito avoid the depth charges) after
firing her torpedo, and the periscope ripped
a long white feather between us and the
next ship-believe it or not, we cheered!
1 had to go below, just then, for reasons
which may be explained some day, but
was impressed by. the astonishing density
Of perception which depiive men-most
men-of a sense Of danger. And 1t may
interest you to know that ir our Saturday
night Local Rag, in the Stop Press column,
the legends ran thus:
Abdication Of Kaiser (officiaD.
Latest Half-Time Scores.
Gatwick and Newmarket with names of
winners)
WE ARE being paid off, but have to walt
w here few days until certain arrange
ments are concluded. Our thirty.eight-
yehT.OIu snip HAS SuINlNcu the ITedI
War. She is going back to work again as
a merchantmen. Her guns and shells go
ashore. A swarm Of workmen will soon be
ripping out her concreted tanks and all the
nice new naval machinery which I have
taken so much pride to Keep just so. Her
boilers, all save one, are empty, and we
had just enough steam to blow a blast of
victory this morning. Hinc lilac lacrimae.
Honestly, she has given me some fierce
times, but I'm sorry to quit her.
TNTIE next thing Is foreign service leave"
My chief has sprinted home to Belfast
for few days. and when he comes back
I am supposed to do likewise Isdunno. I
| guess will wait until can get my twen-
ty.eight days clear and then try to settle
down to do some scribbling.
AS soon as it is permissible I am coming
to New York, but passports are not being
! chucked about yet. There is a lot OF
work for us to do before the armies are
| safely home.
WILLIAM McFEE
In the interests of public tranquility,
can't some Of the fairy-tales be revised?
Little Red Riding Hood. for instance; 1t
would be tragic IL the poor child should be
set upon and beaten on her way to her
grandmothers because she innocently wore
| the Boshevik colors. Let her hood be
blue. and save her for the wolf!
The Kaiser's trembling fits began again
| at the arrival of the Empress in The
Netherlands And yet some people think
he is escaping punishment!
| When Wilhelm makes his final exit,
there will be many church bells ready to
say 81 tolled you so,'
Some Hun
The manned children aren't all in Belgium.
I met little girl on SAMSON street,
Her face was blue and drawn with cold
And she was staggering under a basket
OF carpenters wood.scraps,
Cleaned from some factory.
said, ''Dyou want any help?
Let me carry 1t for you"
Nah. 0toar, don icdnt ger ptnchin' my
tcoodP
What want to know is.
Who mutilated that child7
SOCRATES.