Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-17
TRYING TO Get
SUB FLOTILLA
To COME HERE
Recruiting Officer at Davenport
Station Making Effort To Have
Naval Craft Come.
SHIPS USED IN THE WAR
Are Coming Up Mississippi To Give
West Intimate View of Part
Navy Played.

Navy IAdgtus
Recruiting officers stationed in
Davenport are bending every effort
to have the anti-submarine f1otilla,
which the navy department is as
sembling to send up the MISSISSIPPI
pi Hver, brought to Rock Island
and Davenport. The itinerary for
the naval display does not include
cities above st. Louis, but the local
officers believe that, through the
cooperation of various tri-city or
CARNATIONS, permission can be Sc
cured from the navy department to
have the boats come as far as the
tri-cities at least.
The object of the trip is to give
the people of the middle west a
close view of the types of the ships
used in the war against the U-boat.
These ships and implements of
warfare used against German
U-boats are being sent to the mid
die west waters so that the people
of that part of the country may
have a full opportunity to. have a
close inspection of the vessels,
guns and equipment, which the
navy used in clearing the sea OF
the enemy submarine.
The flotilla will consist of the
Z. S. S. Isabel, a destroyer type;
the submarine Ks, three submarine
chasers and two flying boats, all of
which with their officers and crews
have seen service in the war zone.
Men Have Seen Service.
The expedition will be in COM
mand of Lieutenant Commander
Thomas G. Berrien, U. S. navy,
who is now at-the submarine base
at Key West. The Isabel. which
will be commanded by Lieutenant
T. n. Vinson, u. S. navy. has sailed
from the navy yard at Philadel-
phia to join the other ships at Key
West. From the Florida port they
will proceed to New Orleans. The
start up the river will be made
early in June and the trip will ex-
tend to St. Louis and also include
tributaries of the Mississippi. The
itinerary, now being laid out, in
cludes the visit to all of the cities
and towns on either banks of the
river.
DestToyers, submarines and
chasers will carry war equipment.
The destroyers will have a 'Y"
gun and depth charges. The sub
marine will be prepared to sub
merge. All of the ships will be IL
Illuminated at night. both when at
anchor and afloat. One of the chas-
ers will go in advance of the flo
In in
by radio and wireless phone with
the other ships. This chaser will
be used by Lieutenant Commander
Wells Hawks. q. S. ". r. F., who
has been ordered to precede the
fiotilIa and make advance arrange
ments
Cities Make Preparations.
Already the cities and towns
along the river are preparing to
receive and entertain the f1otilla
and it's men. The ships will be
prepared to return the courtesy.
The personnel will include the
band from the U. S. Recruit, the
land ship in Union Square, New
York; a vocal quartet and instru-
mentalists from one of the navy
training stations; a crack baseball
team of sailor players, and project
ing machines for showing motion
pictures of navy activities at home
and abroad Flights will be made
by the flying boats.
The navy department intends
that everybody in the Mississippi
valley shall see the flotilla and so
that all may be reached, men on
motorcycles will post announce
ments in all the villages and near
by counties accessible to the river
ports.
1t is proposed to make this the
most comprehensive showing ever
sent out by the navy department.
FITTING HONOR FOR CITIZEN.
Similar to what is being done
in a number of places throughout
the United States, the people of
Commerce, Ga, honored one of
their citizens, DIR. w. B. Hardman,
former president of the school
board, by planting a tree on the
school campus in his memory, says
a bulletin today from the American
forestry association OF Washington.
The association suggested the
planting of memorial trees for SOL
Giers and sailors and is registering
such trees, but points out that 9TH
er individuals and occasions may
be Just as fi:tingly honored in this
way.