Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-30
BY JosEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy.

BY 5SSEPHUS DANIELS
Former Secretary of the Navy.
Copyright, 1921. by John f. Ollie
Copyright by National Newspapel
Service. Copyright In Great Britain
Canada and throughout France. Al
rights reserved, including translation in
to foreign languages, including tn
Scandinavian Unauthorized reprintini
for any purpose forbidden.
CONSTANTINOPLE, March 25.
DeIayed) The Scorpion, veteran of
the Spanish-American war, 1nterned
here when the United states Joined
the allies, and now Admiral Bristols
flagship, has been ordered sold by
the Navy Department. The Scorpion
has been stationed here much of the
time since 1908, when it became a
dispatch boat for the American en-
bassy. It Is a converted yacht.
When the German cruisers Goeber
and Breslau made their sensational
escape at the opening of the war, and
raced down the Mediterranean to de
liver themselves to Turkey, it was an
American audience on an American
grand stand which watched the
thrilling finish in the harbor of Con
stantinople.
From the deck Of the gunboat Scorpion
flying the flag OF the United States, the
officers and men, with no little amuse-
ment beheld the evidently Teutonic
crews Of the erstwhile ships of the Ger
man navy, hastily dOfhng their German
cans and dOnning Moslem fezzes as the
Turkish flag was noisted to the mast
head.
Throughout the war the Scorpion was
vantage point Of observation for the
events which occurred in the near east
When the United States became R bellig-
erent it quietly interned, since there was
no declaration of war with Turkey, and
nothing to be gained by this little vessel
risking almost certain destruction by an
effort to run the Uboat gantlet in the
Mediterranean in order to reach the naval
forces of the allies.
CREW INVALUABLE
TO 0IORGANTHAU.
This. however, does not mean that the
SCORPIONS wartime existence was wholly
monOtonous. II had it's thrills and its op-
portunities for service. When Turkey
entered the war the crew Of the Scorpion
was Invaluable to Mr.. Morganthau In
guarding embassies and helping TO get
the retiring allied officials and thousands
of n0ncombatants-men,w women and chill
dren-safely out of the city.
The American flag was temporarily
hoisted over the British embassy, and
men Of the Scorpion stood on guard about
the building, because there were rumOrs
that an attack was to be made upon 1t
and Mr.. MOrganthau had been requested
by the British government to take charge
. of British interests.
n h.
Scorpions long sojourn in the Bosporu'
occurred on May %. 1915
Long lines of transports, with 10000 OF
$4,000 troops aboard, were at the quays
ready TO sail for the reinforcement Of
the Ottoman armies at the Dardanelles
An escort Of destroyers and patrol boats
had been sent ahead into the Sea Of Mar
mora, and one or two destrOyers were
racing about in the BospOrOus.
The opportunity for a sudden blow by
the allies was excellent if anybody could
get near enough to strike the blow. Ap-
proach. however, meant running the
blockade Of mines and shore guns and
other defenses which, thus far, had made
the Dardanelles impregnable.
So the Turks felt fairly safe.
WARNING FROM
SUBMARINE.
A rumOr spread however, on May "a
that the skipper of a submarine had ad-
dressed a letter to the neutral embassies
requesting that all neutral ships. for their
own protection, should Immediately with
draw from the open harbOr.
II was said that the letter had been
given to the captain of a Greek tug
boat. This assertion, however has never
been verified nor has a copy of the let
ter ever been seen. So far as is known
it was never delivered Suspicion exists
that it fell into Turkish hands. This
suspicion is strengthened by the fact that
almost confidently several tugboat cap
tains Of Hellenic race disappeared"
II was with a sense of expectancy
quickened by this rumor that the Scor-
pion's lookout watched the early morn
ing preparations of the Turkish trans
ports to sail.
The moment for departure had almost
arrived when a sudden shout from the
quartermaster Of the Scorpion brought
all hands scrambling on deck.
British submarine" rang out the cry
Sure enough, heading at full speed fol
the troop ships, with the rifle of water
, white around its periscOpe, was British
: submarine
The Turks had made simultaneous dis
covery Of it, and their artillery opened
FIRE. The Workmanship was poor. how
ever. for all the shells fell harmless.
BLOWS Up
sRURKISH CRAFT.
SThe submarine made full sweep OF
the harbor. and when only 100 yards
from the Turkish field guns fred its first
torpedo.
A moment later there was a terrific
explosion. Turkish lighter vanished
from the water. and presently fell back
again in fragments. A big hole was
Y blown in the side Of an empty transport
The first torpedo was followed almost
8 Immediately by a second. The Scorpion
81 crew watched its white streak as it slid
q past their gUnbOat on the port side
= headed up the BospOrus. 1t went under
4 small boat and passed on upstream to
& sink without doing the foe any injury.
Meantime a Turkish torpedo boat with
no little intrepidity. had dashed at full
speed toward the hostile visitor. evident
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