Imperial Valley press., 1937-03-28

were loosed at the spot as we
turned to search for the sub :.
but darkness dropped down on US.
1t was dangerous to use search
lights much. and we headed away
from the scene. Other subs might
be close, and duty was partly to
save the TarneH. We were unable
to verify any damage to the at
tacking sub, but I like to think
that my gunnery officer scored
a hit.
Until now all Austrian subs
- had been confined to the
Adriatic. but by early June these
U-boats grew bolder-and an
other armored cruiser was tor.
pedoed, this time a French ship.
Our division commander called
in his owners" and issued or
ders: this U-boat campaign must
be stopped. No apologies or ex-
cusea accepted. U-boats were to
be cleared from the waters of the
Dardanelles. 1t was an uncom-
Portable hour ION the carpet"
Between chasing subs, my
TarneH took supplies to Sir Ian
Hamilton's troops who besieged
the hills of Gallipoli :. but both
troops and supplies proved USE
less, and eventually the Allies
withdrew after terrible losses.
Farsighted Lord Kitchner was
trying to foment an Arab revolt
against Turkey a thorn in
the side of the Empire. since
Johnny Turk effectively shut off
help to Russia through the Darda-
nelles. On his visit to Cairo.
Ntchner had talked with Emir
Abdulla, son of the Grand Sheriff,
promising that England would
furnish supplies, arms and money
much as Germany did for
Turkey. What he wanted was a
sudden, but well planned revolt
Of all Arabia.
My own orders included con-
voying merchantmen and troop
ships to Alexandria, taking men
and arms to reinforce the Brit
ish in Egypt and it was my
luck to meet a quiet, unassum-
ing sub-lieutenant attached to the
Cairo mission. 1t is hard to say
why one man is attracted to an
other, but perhaps because this
lad had little respect for his -su-
periors, l liked him at once.
He was eight years my junior.
and his name was T. e. Lawrence
Lawrence of Arabia. in later
years-but at that time strange
ly moody young subaltern appar-
emily doing nothing of import
ance. In memory, he was small Of
stature. naturally very shy, and
with an intense dislike Of pub
licity. Added to this, his birthday
fell on the same day that my
own did, August 15. His forehead
was intellectual, and blue eyes
cleaned beneath light brown hair
in a face burned by desert
sun. He was altogether-at least
to me-a striking person. His fav-
orite subject was early Hittite
civilization and pottery in
which he had specialized. But
this, it seemed, made him fit but
poorly into the Egyptian scene
and especially as a future
leader of the coming Arab re-
volt. Lawrence impressed me as
anything but leader of men
more like a kindly college pro-
fessor, soft of voice, a man who
used neither liquor or tobacco. He
was a soldier unmoved by mill
tary regulations or desire for
glory indeed, nothing much ap-
peared to stir him except read
ing and study and research. He
was at the same time not what he
seemed. and great deal of what
ne seemed clear contradic.
ton. but the man was something
OF mystery. I've thought per-
maps he was a mystery to him.
self as well-a thing could
imagine possible.)
In Cairo we sat together ID
pazaars, and again wandered
through streets OF Alexandria
meeting on different trips ashore
and exchanging those inwart
condolences which occasionally