The sun., 1919-04-13
re
1is Narrative Gains Credit One of the Most Luminous
Pages in Navy's Annals of Grit Daring and
Alertness to Aid Country

~ My time and chance prevented
Lieut.. Edouard Victor Isaacs
u. S. N, from doing the cause
OF his country and her allies a service
that conceivably might have destroyed
the last hope Of the Germans and have
FASTENED their collapse in a somewhat
longer war.
He was made prisoner and taken tc
Wilhelmshaven by their submarine u
30. From her deck he saw and placed
the loophole through the mine fields
and other anti-submarine defences by
which the U-boats were still able to
operate in the summer Of 1918. His
one idea was to get that information to
Admiral Sims. After several attempts
to escape had been frustrated he sue
ceeded-and the next day the armistice
was signed.
Tribute by Secretary Daniels.
But nothing detracts from the worth
Of Lieut.. Isaacss determination or
from the lustre Of his exploit. To
quote Secretary Daniels:
His recital Of his capture, his
rare experiences, his alertness to
secure information that would aid
his country, his resolve to find or
make a way to escape and bring
back the knowledge his terrible ex-
periences had impaired. his re-
sourcefulness and will to overcome
what seemed insuperable obstacles
these make a story that will live
in the annals Of naval daring and
naval disregard of danger"
That is a part Of the Secretary's
introduction to Lieut.. Isaacs's own
story, just published. with illustrations
including maps. by Houghton Mifflin
Company. 1t makes a small book, and
q big one. None of the personal mar
ratives out of the war has been finer
for simple sincerity or more absorbing
with human interest
The Lieutenant had been ordered
from the fleet to duty aboard the
transport President Lincoln, a former
Hamburg American liner whose I'M
exceptionable name had been left I'M
changed. She ferried American SOL
diers from Hoboken to France from
October IS. 1917. until the morning Of
May 81, 1918. when the U-90, which
had been stalking the convoy. bagged
its biggest ship returning light" to
America, and only some thirty hours
out from Brest. AS she sank Lieut..
1saacs jumped to a life raft and SUI
perintended the tying together of RATS
and boats in order to facilitate rescue.
A loose boat took him off his raft,
which was partly under water.
About this time" he says, "the
other three ships having disappeared
in the distance, tho submarine came to
the surface and approached the boat
in answer to the entreaties of the men
] lay back in the stern sheets and
covered the gold stripes on my sleeves
with my body. could not bring my
self to the humiliation OF hiding in the
bottom of the boat and leaving them
10 face alone the displeasure of the
pirates, although they begged me to do
so. or at least to remove my uniform.
81 saw later on, however, that there
was no use in trying to deceive the
Captain. for the submarine approached
TO within fifty yards and at that short
distance he could readily distinguish
every detail of uniform. / had lost
my cap but had on an old blouse I'M
der my life Jacket. Recognizing this,
the commanding officer Of the U-boat
put a megaphone to his lips and sang
out, Come aboard
Aboard the Submarine.
I'VE pulled alongside and as rose
TO step out of the lifeboat the men
realizing that I was about to leave
them, perhaps never to return, raised
their voices in protest and tried to re-
strain me. i turned to calm them
telling them not to worry, and step
ping on the gunwale 1 grasped the
hands of those nearest me in a heart
felt good-by and jumped on the deck
OF the submarine.
"As walked along the deck a Ger
man sailor came behind me and took
7 my pistol. I then gave him the whole
belt. Going up to the coming tower
] saluted the officer whom I took to
be the Captain. He addressed me In
rather fair English as follows:
"'Are you the captain of the Presi-
dent Lincoln?
"'No, sir I replied. 4 believe the
Captain went down with the ship, for
have not seen him since. I am the
First Lieutenant
at am Capt. Remy,' he said. MY
orders are to take the senior officer
prisoner whenever l sink a man-o'-
war. You will remain aboard and
point out your Captain to me-
AT that time Capt Foote Of the Lin
coin was pulling stroke oar in one OF
the lheboats.l 1t was his duty to re-
main with his men and so be in a po-
eltion to look after their safety until
aided by rescuing vessels. The man
Eer I'm which he performed this duty
is one OF the most striking incidents
OF the great war. OF the 700 souls
aboard the President Lincoln only
twenty-three men and three officers
were lost. and that a greater loss OF
life did not result must be attributed
10 the grand discipline which pre-
vailed, fCf which he alone was respon-
sible. ana to his GOODNESS and skill In