Evening star., 1921-04-21

distressing experience. do they hesi-
tate to adopt the convoy system?"
FINALLY the convoy system was
adopted. 1t took the American ex-
peditionary force to France without
the loss of man on an American
transport through enemy action. 1t
Justihed in the eyes of the naval au
thorlt1es of three great nations the
wisdom of the scholarly idealist,
whose genius for practical sugges-
ton never ceased to be a cause for
wonder and admiration on the part
of those who were closely associated
with him.
His brilliant mind gave further
evidence of it's gift for strategy in
his contention from the day we en-
tered the war that the only way to
beat the C-boat warfare of Germany
was to bar the U-boats from access
to waters traversed by allied ship
ping.
willing to Take Risk.
He was willing to run tremendous
risks and to suffer heavy losses if
there were a possibility of destroying
the U-boats nests.
Speaking to the officers and crew of
the Pennsylvania, he said:
1--WE are hunting hornets all over
the farm and letting the nest alone.
None of us know how to go to the
nest and crush it. and yet 1 despair
of hunting for hornets all over the
sea. when I know where the nest is.
and l know that the nest is breeding
hornets as fast as / can find them.
am willing. for my part, and l know
you are willing. for l know the stuff
you are made of am willing to sac
rifice half the Navy. Great Britain
and we together have to crush the
nest. because if we crush it the war
is won"
The British admiralty, however. was
inclined to be exceedingly cautious.
and the Presidents proposals failed
to evoke the response he had reason
to hope for.
Every time we have suggested any
thing to the British admiralty he
said. talking on the deck of the Penn
sylvania in the summer of 1917, the
reply has come back that virtually
amounts to this: That it had never
been done in that way. l felt like
saying, Well, nothing was ever done
SO systematically as nothing is being
done now Therefore, 1 should ike
to see something unusual happen
something that never has been done
before. There is no other way 10
win"
Calls for Suggestions
It was on this occasion that he in
vited the youngest as well as the olo-
est officers in the Navy to suggest 10
him possible ways of doing the pig
and bold and unprecedented thing that
might bring victory.
II am not saying" he declared,
that I do not expect the admirals to
tell us what to do. but am saying
that I want the youngest and most
modest youngster in the service 10
tell US what we ought to do. II he
knows what it is"
please leave out of your Vocabu-
larry the word prudent" he said to
the naval officers DO not stop to
think about what is prudent for
moment. Do the thing that is auda-
cious to the utmost point of risk and
daring. because that is exactly what
the other side does not understand
The President had sized UP correct
ly the enemy mind-rigid, conven-
tional. regimented. In order to sur
prise and bewilder him it was neces-
sary only to do the thing that was
daringly irregular. contrary to estab-
lished rules.
Mayo Sent to Europe.
Soon after the President made his
hornet nest. speech. Admiral Mayo.
commander-in-ch chief OF all the vessels
afloat on both sides of the Atlantic.
was dispatched to Europe with in
StrIctionS to convince the british ad =