Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-18
By JosEPHUs DANIELS,

emerEency-PrOmises story about
mysterious Air Davidson.
BY JOSEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy.
Copyright, 1921. by John F. Ollie,
Copyright by National Newspaper Serv-
ice, Copyright In Great Britain, Canada
and throughout Europe. All rights re-
served, including translation into foreign
languages. including the Scandinavian.
Unauthorized reprlnting for any purpose
is forbidden.
ARTICLE
The Navy prepared for action in
April. 1916, for war semeed almost
as imminent then as it did the next
year. When President Wilson sent
his Sussex note to Germany. deciar-
ing that relations would be broken
If ruthless submarine warfare was
not stopped, we made all plans TO
mobilize the feet Nothing coulc
show more clearly the critical sit
uation than the steps the Navy took
to meet it.
My mobilization order of April 27,
1916, shows that twenty-nine of thir-
ty-two battIeships were ready for
immediate action, and that one Of
the remaining three would be ready
IN three weeks time.
The corresponding table for the de-
stroyer force showed that out Of forty
nine destroyers. forty-two were imme-
dlately available, and that three Of the
remaining seven would be available
within thirty days
The sinking Of the Sussex was the big
gest jolt which had come to the peaceful
hores Of Washington since the sinking
Of the LusItania. It so plainly disre-
garded the American position as defined
in the Presidents Lusitania note that Il
could not be ignored. Either Germany
must repudiate the Sussex incident as
typical Of a policy, or continued relations
would be impossible.
II was about this time. I think. al
though I do not recall the exact date,
when the President after dwelling upon
the extreme gravity Of the situation, said
10 US solemnly: "I hope that those Of Us
who believe in prayer, VIII ask divine
guidance"
people know his reticence about his per-
sonal beliefs viii appreciate how deep
was his anxiety when he spoke thus to
his official family.
CABINET HEARS
WILSON ULTEIATUM.
The Sussex was torpedoed on March 81.
When all the facts were in the possession
Of the State Department, and TO satisfac-
tory explanation had come from Berlin,
the President called Us together to read
to us the ultimatum which he had pre-
pared to serve upon Germany.
Let me recall the significant words In
that ultfmatum. They have been forgot
ten in the overwhelming, subsequent
events, but they were words which would
have carried Us at that date into war
as surely as did the diplomatic rupture
Of 1917, had not Germany seen well 10
withdraw temporarily from her utterly
intOlerable and unpermiss1hle position.
Here are the Presidents plain words
II It Is still the purpose Of the i'm
perial government to prosecute relent-
less and indiscriminate warfare against
vessels Of commerce by the use Of sub
marines. without regard to what the
government Of the United States must
consider the sacred and indisputable
rules Of international law and thee uni
versalIy recognized dictates OF humaCity.
the government Of the United States is
at last forced to the conclusion that
there is but one course to pursue. In
less the imperial government should now
Immediately declare and effect an aban-
donment Of its present methods Of
submarine warfare against passenger
nnd freiEht-carrying vessels. the govern
ment Of the United States can have no
choice but to sever diplomatic relations
with the German empire altogether.
REST HOPES
ON U-BOAT.
When we listened to the reading Of
these words and realized what they
meant and the tremendous possibilities
they implied. everyone Of US was pro
foundly moved, and there were some, of
optimistic temperament, who hoped that
this firm threat of American action would
result in q complete abandonment of
Germany's warfare on merchant ship
ping; but there were others who held no
such hopes. The latter were convinced
that Germany relied too greatly upon
her U-boat weapon to allow 1t to be re-
stricted in striking power for any great
length OF time.
The end Of the submarine as the de
cisive weapon Germany regarded It at
that time 1 shall narrate later. Some
temporary concession sn- might make,
but where a separate need or tempting
opportunity appealed to her, there seemed
no reason to doubt that Won Tirpitz
would forget all pledges and undertak-
ings and strike wherever he could do
most damage.
There were those. indeed, who doubted
If Germany would make even a temporary
concession, and l think all felt that the
possibility of war brooded over US with
darkening shadows when we left the
White House with the knowledge that
Americas ultimatum was on its way to
Berlin.
NAVY MOBILIZATION
PLANS ANNOUNCED.
Ny own apprehensions that relations
might be broken of induced me to take
immediate steps to have the feet in readi-
CONTINUED on Page Three.)