Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 110, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1915 — ENGLAND IS A SOLEMN PLACE AND SHOWS IT [ARTICLE]

ENGLAND IS A SOLEMN PLACE AND SHOWS IT

Face and Pace of Briton indicates Effect of War on Mind of Populace.

TENSENESS, BUT NO ALARM

Htfward B. Clark, Fresh From Bhlp Passage Through Min*-Btrewn St. George’s Channel, Gives His Impressions of Trip..

By EDWARD B. CLARK.

London. —The American ship Philadelphia made Liverpool—safe, for all the pre-sailing scare. St George’s channel and the Irish sea may have as ■any submarines in them as they have ii«h, which Is exceedingly doubtful, but they are pleasant places with a sufficient half-moon shining down upon their waters. Wms there danger as the American Ilnur made its way through these ■alt seas toward Liverpool? Perhaps, but. if so, no passenger on board gave expression to It In word or face. There was a tenseness among the men and women on the ship, bnt It was an inward thing. No one with sense believed tor a moment that a submarine would sink au American passenger ship. Thought dwelt on the possibility, but it seemed to be one which could come only as the offspring of an awful mistake. Other American ships unquestionably will continue to go through the channel and the lesser sea unmenaced. There was the spice of a sense iff danger to nitka the trip exhilarating or depressing as spice affects the human frame and mind. No ope spoke of danger save rarely, and then the speakers were men. The women said nothing. -In times that seem to be those of emergency, even If they are not. Women always are stronger than men. but few men there be willing to limit the patent fact. Bhow Up Vessel’s Name.

As soon as the lights of the South of Ireland were sighted, and the Philadelphia entered what in truth is a war ■one. the sailors rigged two great electric lamps and hung them over the sides iff the vessel, whero their concentrated beams fell on great white letters announcing the name of the ■hip and the fact that she was “an American.” The name could be read over a long distance, for it was high enough above the tumbling waters to stand in the line of vision, clear and besoon-Uke. Until the edge of the war zone outlying Ireland was reached no flag was shown by the Philadelphia. When the waters of so-called danger were approached the Stars and Stripes were broken out at the proper station. Ordinarily the British flag would have been displayed forward as the ensign of the port of destination, but the American captain was taking no fhtmwi with the British flag, either forward, aft or amidships. There were five natives of England to one native of America on the Philadelphia; and for once at least on the high seas the Stars and Stripes looked good to khigHnh eyes. At sunset the came down and the bright electrio tight* were turned on to the name and nation of the ship, where within oertain sea limits all men might read them.

Man-of-War Asks for Information. Some forty miles beyond Daunt’s rock the lights of a man-of-war appeared. The vessel was lying in the sea shadows, not more than threequarters of a mile away. Nothing but the lights were visible, but their distribution showed even the unpracticed eye that the vessel displaying them was a warship of a greater type. Suddenly from the starboard side of the dreadnaught, predreadnaught or cruisre, whatever she was, came a sharp flash of light, which was followed by successive twinkles. The Britisher was signaling the Yankee, and the Yankee instantly paid heed. “What ship is that?’’ An answer was twinkled back from the bridge. “Where bound?’’ Back went the answer. If the response had not been given quickly and readily a shot would have come across the Philadelphia’s bows. The British guardships where St. George’s channel meets the ocean are t«Hng no chances, and this notwithstanding the fact that German merchant and German war ships virtually have disappeared from the waters. No Fear Felt by Americans. There may have been no submarines in the Irish sea when the Philadelphia made its way toward Liverpool. If there were, let it be said again that no American of seasoned sense on board thought for an instant that the ship was in danger of a torpedo from any German craft unless the missile were fired as the result of gross error. Some Americans in America may thbik differently about the matter. It would so seem to one who had to take leave of some friends more or less fearful. One American on board said to another when midway between Queenstown and Liverpool, the place of reputed greatest danger, that there was more worry on shore over the ship

than there was on Its deck. He told the truth. '

Only one boat was swung out on its davits by the crew of the Philadelphia; It could not have held by any chance more than a dozen or fifteen people; it was swung out a long time before the war zone was reached. Why? No one knew. It 1b as much of a puzzle today as it was the day that the crew swung the lifeboat over the water.

It has been said of other voyages that passengers on ships passing through the Irish sea at night did not go to bed, or if they did, they turned in with their clothes on. There was only one passenger on the American liner who stayed up all night through the Irish sea, and he was a jolly, old retired naval officer who had served his time and who could not get over the habit of staying on watch. This old chap must be seventy-five years old, but he showed up at the breakfast table Bhinlng, rosier and more generally wide-awake than any companion passenger.

The night before the Irish sea was entered an Englishman who was playing bridge and side talking about the matter of stewards’ tips said: “Perhaps the only steward we must tip will be the one waiting on Davy Jones ”

England a Solemn Place.

This word from the Britisher was about the only one heard from a man suggestive of any dread possibilities from the sailing of the war-zone sea. The women, as I have said, kept off the subject of the war and of danger from start to finish. About an hour before turning-in time fifteen or twenty of the woman passengers gathered in a corner of the so-called social hall and conferred together. There was ohe woman in that throng of whom I had the presumed right to ask questions. I inquired concerning the nature es the conference, and my answer was, “No matter.” I found out later, however, that the women in solemn conclave had agreed that It was safe to go to bed and to turn in attired as they were ordinarily , attired on sleep occasions, and “to pass the danger toy,” and with it all thought of anything except a safe landing on the morrow. One man I can say who was going to sleep with his trousers on and with his shoes exceedingly handy, turned in wearing the usual habiliments of the night, and tried, not altogether successfully, to banish thoughts of submarines and to woo sleep after the ordinary coaxing manner.

Liverpool was reached early in the morning—the sea and its submarines were behind, but the war in its other aspects was in front, and one knew it the instant that foot was put on land'. England is a solemn place, and shows it In the step and in the faces of the people. A solemn place—and so must be Germany and France and Russia.