Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-10
RADIO BETRAYS
GERMANY'S LIES
ABOUT AMERICA
Berlin's FabricatiOns Circu-
lated and Received Daily
in Washington.
CONTINUAL BLUFF
BY JoSEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy.
ARTICLE 25.

ARTICLE 25.
"Vaterland sunk! Largest German
vessel used by Americans as troop
transport, named by them Levia-
than 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, 1913, and
promptly brought to me. The report
was being spread all over Germany,
broadcasted by wireless, hulletined.
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 transportation. The
leader Of our transport feet, the biggest
troop ship. the largest 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 re
venge. indeed. This would teach the
hated Yankees that they could not use
Germany's own vessels to carry troops
10 fight Germany. This proved that the
C-bOats were stopping them.
The subma zines had crossed the Attain
tic carrying the war TO Americas very
doors, staying ships right of its coasts.
Now they were smashing them on bOIH
sides Of the ocean. That would terror
ize the cOwardly Americans They sim
plv could not take over the big army
a,d 70 Il
France.
AMERICA GERMANX'S
GREAT FEAR.
These were the German comments.
Nsthing could have caused such reJoic-
ing 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 and Belleau
Wood, which stopped their drive on
Paris America had become the great
fear of Germany.
must confess that when our radio
operators caught the announcement from
Berlin that the Leyiathan had been
sunk, 1t gave me a start. I knew it could
hardly be true for our latest reports
showed that the big ship had sailed from
Brest three days before, ad was nearly
half way home. But my anxiety was not
relieved until We got positive assurance
OF her safety.
The British radio the next day broad
casted the following: The German
wireless and German newspapers have
asserted that the former German liner,
the VE-erland, now in use as an Ameri-
can transport, had been torpedoed and
sunk. The statement is false. The Va
terIand has not been sunk. The Noss-
ische-Zeitung says that the Americans
had intended 10 bring over a dozen divis-
ions in the course OF a year in this ship.
II so, the intention may be carried out,
for the vaterland is ahoat and is in the
finest possible condition"
BIG BRITISH
<sHIP SUNK.
II the Germans did not know II be
fore, they knew then that the report wos
untrue. Il was, in fact, the Justicia,
British vessel, which had been carrying
American troops. but which was return
ing empty, with neither troops nor cargo
aboard II was a big ship, 3212O tons,
but the Leviatban was over 5000 tons.
The report that It was sunk was only
one Of the thousand queer things we
heard from Berlin. For our radio op-
orators listened in" on the big Ger
man wireless station at Nauen and
rather uncanny, with Germany 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 q daily newspaper suppose it
was the only secret" daily ever got
ten out in Ameriea-which, compiled and
mimeographed by the naval cOmmuniea-
lion service and marked confidential"
was sent in sealed envelopes to all Of
eers 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 propaganda
that Germany was sending out, but a di-
gest 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, received July
25. 1918 when our troops were proving
their valor in Foch's great drive, in
formed US: THE American Army is lack
Ing in the one essential the will to fight
In any case. it viii not be numerous
enough to play any important part until
1920, and then only provided the trans
port difficulty IS got over and the NUM-
b nursery stage. Our submarines will see
10 the transports, and America will find
It impossible to create a gigantic in
dustry and a gigantic army at the same
time. Ammunition perhaps. but guns
can not be cast in sewing machine
factories. At present the American
soldiers are without either rifles or
artillery"
And at that moment there were a
million American soldiers in France and
we were turning out munitions at a rate
the Germans could not believe was pos
sible.
The more evident 1t was that U-bOat
warfare had failed, the more vehement
were the German naval authorities in
asserting its success. Admiral HOlzen-
dOrff, head Of the admiralty, announced
cu July % that they we're taking into
consideration the counter measures-that
meant the mine barrage, the destrOyers,
patrol boats and all the new things We
were using to defeat them; that they
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