Evening star., 1921-05-10
BY JOSEPHUs DANIELS.
Former Secretary OF the Navy.

ARTICLE 26.
"vaterland sunk! Largest German
vessel used by Americans as troop
transport, named by them Ieviathan.'
was torpedoed and sent down today
by German submarines.
That was the startling news which
the navy radio operators heard from
Berlin one night in July, 1918. and
promptly brought to me. The report
, was being spread all over Germany,
broadcast by wireless, bulletined.
featured in newspapers as the big
gest story of the day, and there was
general rejoicing all through the en-
pire.
The U-boats were getting in their
work at last. They had struck vital
blow at American troop transporta-
tion. The leader of our transport
fleet, the biggest troop ship. the larg-
est vessel in the world, had been sent
to the bottom. They had sunk the
President Lincoln two months before.
Now they had got" the biggest of
them all. This was revenge, indeed.
This would teach the hated Yankees
that they could not use Germany's
own vessels to carry troops to fight
Germany. This proved that the u
boats Were stopping them.
The submarines had crossed the
Atlantic, carrying the war to Ameri-
cas- very doors, Staying ships right
off it's coasts. Now they were smash
ing them on both sides of the ocean.
That would terrorize the cowardly
Americans. They simply could not
take over the big army with which
they threatened to flood France.
America Germany's Great Fear.
These were the German comments.
Nothing could have caused such re-
joicing in Germany at that moment.
The allies were just beginning their
drive, smashing into the German
lines The Teutons had not recovered
from the shock of Chateau Thierry
their drive on Paris. America had
become the great fear of Germany.
l must confess that when our radio
operators caught the announcement
from Berlin that the Leviathan had
been sunk it gave me a start. l
latest reports showed that the big
ship had sailed from Brest three days
before and was nearly half way
home. But my anxiety was not rsr
lieved until we got positive assur-
ance of her safety.
The British radio the next day
broadcast the following: THE Ger
man wireless and German newspapers
have asserted that the former Ger
man liner. the Naterland now in use
as an American transport, had been
torpedoed and sunk. The statement
sunk. The NossiSche-Zeitung says
that the Americans had intended to
bring over a dozen divisions in the
course of year in this ship. If so.
the intention may be carried out, for
the Vaterland is afioat and is in the
6nest possible condition"
Big British Ship Sunk.
fore, they knew then that the report
was untrue. 1t was. in fact, the Jus
ticia, British vessel, which had been
carrying American troops. but which
was returning empty. with neither
troops nor cargo aboard. 1t was a
big ship, 32,120 tons, but the Levia-
than was over $4,000 tons.
The report that it was sunk was
only one of the thousand queer things
We heard from Berlin. For our radio
operators listened in on the big
German wireless station at Nauen and
seemed rather uncanny. with Ger
many almost cut of from the outside !
world to sit here in America and |
listen every night to what they were !
talking about in Berlin.
There was laid on my desk every |
morning a daily newspaper sup
pose it was the only secret" daily
ever gotten out in America-which,
controlled and mimeographed by thet
naval communication service and
marked confidential" was sent in
sealed envelopes TO all officers and
officials whose duties compelled them
to keep in touch with all that was
going on abroad. And this contained
not only all the news" and propa-
ganda that Germany was sending out,
but a digest of all that was sent out
by the British. French and Italians.
said Americans Wouldn't Fight.
We certainly heard some strange
news from Berlin-things that
were news to US. One report, re-
ceived July 25, 1918. when our troops
were proving their valor in Foch's
great drive, informed US: The Amer
lean Army is lacking in the one es-
sential. the will to fight. In any
case. it will not be numerous enough
to play any important part until 1920,
and then only provided the trans
port difficulty is got over and the
munition industry developed from its
present nursery stage. Our subma-
rines will see to the transports, and
America will find it impossible to
create a gigantic industry and gi-
gantic army at the same time. Am
munition. perhaps. but guns cannot
be cast in sewing-machine factories.