The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-05

mander Is Lieutenant Commander Laurence II. Frost. She was not hit, The announcement did not state the number of torpedoeS except to say there were more than one, and added that "the Greer immediately couii- ter. attacked with depth charges. Results unknown.
 Oflcial Announcement
 The offieial announcement said:--
 "The Navy Department announc- ed that the U. S. S. Greer, en route to Iceland, with mall, reported this morning that submarine attacked her by firing torpedoeS which missed their mark. The Greer immediate ly counter attacked with depth charges. Results unknown"
 It was believed that the attack occurred Thursday morning because the commander of neutral warship would hardly lose any time in re- porting Q belligerent attack to his superiorS. It was assumed that the attack was made by German suh- marine, though Q few Italian sub- marines are believed to have op. erated in the Atlantic from time to time. Because the Greer saw the torpedoes, the attack was believed to hay occurred in daylight, which would have given the submarine commander an opportunity of seeing the Greer's flag. But 1t was pointed out that the torpedoes must have been fired from considerable dis- tance for all to have missed their mark and that flag Is Q tiny, in. distinct object from . submarine ' perissope Surreptitiously raised just above the surface.
 Beyond the Navy Departments announcement, there was no official comment whatever. But both in. terventionist and ioiationist Con- greSsmen reacted in the same vein.
 Tt seems there was no damage done to the T. s, destroyer said Chairman Robert R, Reynolds, D., N. O., chairman of the Senate military affairs committee and that seemed the controlling factor in the formula ton of congressional opinion.
 We can expect such incidents" said Sen. Allen J. Ellender, D, La, an advocate Of administration for- eign policy. "TheSe are the risks we are taking"
 We have seen At to occupy Ice- land," said Sen. Claude Pepper, D., Fla, one of the most inSigtent ad- vocateS of force against the Axis, "and naturally VIC will see our sup piles get there. If any opposition such as thiS develops, we will sim. ply have to overcome it,"
 My Judgment Is that the com mander of the destroyer did exactly the right thing" said Sen, Joseph c, oMahoney, D., Wyo, The fact Is that the aggreSsor nations don't want Us in Q shooting war. Their policy Is to take nations on one by one. If submarine fired ct the destroyer 1t was . mistake"
 We should be very thankful" GNid Sen. Edyin o. Johnson, D., Colo, an | lSolationist, "that the incident | turned out As 1t did. Of course we | are not going to war over this incl dent"
 May Be Mistake
 '"rhe destroyer was attacked either 1 by mistake or by design" Sald Sen. Ebert Thomas, D., Utah, also an isolationiSt. "it answered the at. tack not by mistake but by design, which 1t should do under the cir- cumstances. Neither act was war. like"
 T take these incidents with q grain of salt" said Sen. George D. Aiken, R., Vt, Tt Is just too bad you cannot believe everything you hear, even when 1t comes from high ofilcials-but you simply can't"
 It was the second incident grow ing out of the Icelandic patrol. Sec. retary of Navy Frank Knox told a congressional committee recently that 6 United States warhSip heard, through its listening devices, the | whirl of submarines motors while | rescuing survivors from a torpedoed | merchant ship. The warShip drop. ped depth charges to warn the submarine off, he said.
 British Papers Comment
 London, Sept. 5.-(UP)--British | newspapers, displaying the story of a submarine attack on the United | States destroyer Greer under great | headlines, suggested today that whether or not the attack was a di- rect German challenge, 1t was cal- culated to bring America nearer to firm decision on its future war policy.
 Though they took it for granted | that a German submarine attacked | the Greer, the newspapers did not | maintain that the attack was a deliberate one.
 They emphasized. however, that the attack made plain the threat to American shipping in the United States zone of the Atlantic, and linked 1t with the appeal of Prime Minister w. L. Mackenzie K,sc Canada here yesterday for full American aid against Germany |
 They emphasized that the mere course of events was ending the one time isolation of the United States in the western hemisphere.
 "U-boat attack stirs United