El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-27
ACROSS
In War Time
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK
so
nv Il n ErATER

II ny II. d. SLATER.
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Z The -'ovsfseas Notebook" contains a
Z variety OF material gathered By the editor
! Of The Herald in Europe during the waT
] ahd after. Excerpts viii be published in
] this column daily during the next several
[ months Publication OF the "Notes' be-
gan October e5- Iodays instalinent CON
I ffnues the general narrative from the
/ diary with the story OF eroszirg IN sub
I marine time
articles each dag and paste them 10 scrap
books, they VIII not be reprinted and back
numbers cannot be supplied
ZIP EARLY everybody, and ready for
/ - accident, we sight land-9 july 1915
and are told it is an island off the
Scottish coast, one Of the Hebrides
Many fishing smacks appear. Drawing
I nearer to the narrow pass between
Z Ireland and Scotland the ships captain
I indicates to US the exact place where
I the Tuscania, American transport, was
Q sunk a few months ago by a German
submarine with the loss of more than
l0O lives.
British destroyers not far away
amuse themselves firing at vagrant
floating mines' to explode them
good target practice for them and
makes the channel that much safer for
the next boat In.
Heavy clouds hang over the Scottish
coast and the more distant peaks; we
can easily see the villages and fields
and distinguish objects with our
glasses.
Our fleet now for the first time
takes formation in form Of a cross,
some in file, the others in rank flank
ing the center. Our little destroyers
rather jauntily scoUt around here and
there but generally keep up the flank
guards and the point aud rear defence.
I've Of our cargo ships slip away
from the convoy up tho firth Of Clyde
to Glasgow. We understand now that
We are going TO land at Liverpool.
Everybody Is iu excellent spirits.
nearing the end of the long sea trip.
Many ships of all kinds are in sight in
the North channel, = can be counted
at one time, including a lot of the
steam "trawlers7 or fishing vessels Of
which we have read so much and which
have become useful auziliaFies as look
outs and scouts and markers Tor the
mine fields.
IT Is a bright sunny afternoon. We
see the coast Of ireland but too far
away to distinguish anything. While
we are still traversing the North chan
mel airplanes and several dirigible
balloons come out TO meet us and hover
around flying back and forth keeping
sharp lockout for submarine which can
be detected at a great depth from the
air.
We head in between the English
coast ard the Isle of Man. Unf0rget-
table sunset over the Isle Of Man at
10 p. m, our ships close ranged, a slo0p
in The eve of the sun, three destroTers
in file along flank between Us and the
sun.
Near the southern point Of the Isle
Of Man a U=boat is sighted and several
Of our destfoy6rs 20 in chase.
At l0.30 p. IN. the red sunset glow
is stiH in the sky. and it Is light all
night, dim twilight.
There is a lively exchange Of signals
among the destroyprs all the time. by
flashlights. Watchfulness is unrelaxed.
Early in the morning of 10 July we
arrive in Liverpool harb0r and anchor
In front Of the city while quiet sleep
is enjoyed by The troops aboard in an
security.
We are u days out Of New York.
10 July l9lS-Until nearly noon we
swing at anchor III the river Through
our glasses we can observe the life of
the city, or rather the cities, for beth
sides Of the river are built up solidly;
we can even see the meTrymakers on
the beach at Birkerhead out toward
the sea. Excursion boats crowded with
people pass every few minutes. and
they wave and cheer warmest welcome
70 the American soldiers lining the
rails Of the various ships waiting turn
to dock.
We land and wait around several
hours with nothing to do and no per-
mission to stray away. All the water
front IS gay with American flags.
which fly from every public building
and business block in sight. The pass
ing boats toet their whistles in salute
continually.
At last we receive orders to march
across the city to the railway station
for immediate entramment. At the
head Of cur column as we pass through
the gates Of the dock enclosure into the
street. ride two picturesque guides who
look as if they might Be veterans Of
half q century Of foreign Wars-erect.
with white hair and mustaches. bodies
slender but sprinEY ike an ash sabling.
trim Uniforms, these men fifty typify
the British army Of kipling's writings.
A British military band heads our,
little procession, and we take up cur
march through the busiest streets Of
the city of 100000 people The
streets are crowded with shoppers.
business people, and Just folks footing
it. Tremendous enthusiasm manifest
at every step Of the way. People lean
out and watch from far ahead Of rs to
see the approaching line of Americans,
and the Cheering and clapping begin a
block before the head Of our column
arrives and passes.
The band plays lively quicksteps.
The people are more than friendly,
they wave flags and handkerchiefs and
cheer. they run cut from the curbs
and shake tie hands of the soldiers
and officers; they had out an sorts
of mementos OF pin ribbons on the
uniforms Of the Americans. and girls
throw garlands Of flowers around the
necbs Of officers and men alike, or
hand them bouquets Of flowers as they
tramp by. If we were their own home
kin and vict0rs returning instead Of
foreigners aud new entrants into the
war, we could net have had @ warmer
welcome than the people Of Liverpool
SO spontaneously and without special
preparation have given us. Yet many
thousands had gone through before us.
It is a pleasant glimpse We have Of
this place, but only a glimpse. In the
late afternoon We eutrain fer the south.