Evening star., 1945-05-06
Capital Sidelights
BIZ VIII P. Kennedy.

Very few persons, even among his
own close associates in Congress, ap-
preciate how fitting 1t is that Repre-
sentative Edouard Victor Michel Izac Of
California. now serving his fifth term
in the House. should have been selected
on the delegation making 4 personal
inspection Of the Nazi horror camps.
1t is retributive justice because during
the First World War Mr.. Izac, then =
senior lieutenant in the Navy, after
having graduated in 1915 from the
United States Naval Academy, had his
ship blown up under him, was q cap
tive on the German submarine U-90
and a prisoner in a German camp
from which he escaped on a second at
tempt. After he returned and was re-
tired because of wounds received as a
prisoner Of war, he for three years was
director of munitions at the Washine-
ton Navy Yard and at the time OF the
armistice celebration he stood on the
steps Of the State. War and Navy
Building with the then Assistant Sec
retary Of the Navy, Franklin D. Roose-
welt, watching the parade.
He was an officer on the U. 8. s.
President Lincoln when it was sunk,
May 81, 1918. This was a German ship
taken over by the United States-one of
the two six-masted steamers in the
world, and "the best ship that ever car
ried troops in the cause of freedom" !"
capable Of transporting 5000 troops and
5000 tons Of cargo. It was torpedoed
by three direct hits as 1t was returning
from its fifth war operations trip to
France, and of the TOO persons aboard
only % men and three officers were lost.
1t. LAC was the only United States
naval oficer captured by the Germans
during the war. AS matter of fact he
took the rap" instead OF the captain,
who now is Rear Admiral Percy Foote,
on recalled duty in louisiana The cap
tain had donned q sailors pea jacket
to hide his uniform. It was his duty to
remain with his men and so be in 4
position to look after their safety until
aided by rescuing vessels. SO 1t. Lac
told Capt. Remy Of the German subma-
rine that he believed Capt. Toote went
down with the ship, although at that
moment he was looking squarely into
the eyes Of Capt. Foote who was pulling
stroke oar in one Of the nfeboats.
1t. Lac for this exploit received the
Congressional Medal of Honor and was
further decorated by foreign govern
ments. The citation signed by Josephus
Daniels, then Secretary of the Navy,
said: During his stay on the U-90 he
obtained information Of the movement
Of German submarines which was so
important that he determined to escape
with view to making this information
available to the United States and Al
lied naval authorities. Attempting to
carry out this plan, he jumped through
the window of rapidly moving train at
the imminent risk Of death, not only
from the nature of the act itself, but
from the fire Of the armed German
soldiers who were guarding him. (He
previously had been stopped by the cap
tain Of the submarine as he attempted
to dive overheard after midnight) Hav-
ing been recaptured and reconfined, he
made . second successful attempt to
escape, breaking hts way through
barbed-wire fences and deliberately
drawing the fire of the armed guards
in the hope Of permitting others to es-
cape during the confusion. He made
his way through the mountains Of
Southwestern Germany, having only
raw vegetables for food, and at the end
swan the River Rhine during the night
in the immediate vicinity OF German
sentries."
At the time Of the American Legion
Convention In 1928, Mr.. 1zac spent six
months in the provinces Of Alsace-
Lorraine and found that he Is de-.
scended from Balzac lac, in the eighth
generation in 200 years. He is the
seventh Eduosrd Victor Michel, his son
is the eighth and . grandson is the
ninth.
He also visited along the Isac River
through Alsace, named for his family.