Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 179, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 August 1918 — INTERESTING LETTER FROM JOHN KNOX [ARTICLE]

INTERESTING LETTER FROM JOHN KNOX

June 25, 1918. Dear Father: As you have long since known we had a successful voyage, like all of Uncle Sam’s undertakings, everything went as per schedule, not a hitch. with mingled emotion that W set sail on the appointed night for the foreign land to which a turn of world events was sending millions of others. We were going to a place where a life of daily adventure might possible be the normal life. Then too was the added zest of possible encounter with submarines. When I awakened next morning we had traveled Hampton Roads and I realized I had taken my last view of land for Several deys to come. As I have said it was with mingled emotions, emotions that we had last anchor.By the next morning my emotjon had become so mingled that it was futile for me to attempt to ignore their real meaning. For two days I was at the mercy of the elements and extremely mild, they were at that. The ocean was for the most part of our voyage as placid as a basin of water. Nevertheless I had my little fling There were hours when I had not the least concern what the future held in store for me. Of the so-called joys of ship life—• of which one hears people speak so enthusiastically—the less said the better. It is a childish mind that can be impressed by a, great wablely bulk of water. It is tremendous' of course, but nothing to kick up such a row about. The only variety to the prospect was other members of our convoy and an occasional returning supply sluip or tanker. Of course, we were not traveling in lux—that makes some difference.

On the morning we entered the extreme danger zone. They .routed us out at three a. m., and we stood at our various stations on the decks until se>en o’clock, ready to abandon ship, in the event of a disasterous torpedoing. Nothing of the kind ocettred. The greatest possibility of attact form subs comes at dusk and at day break. Trust to the U. S. to manage the submarines. We have them cowed and on the run. Practically on the defensive and that is some achievement. It occurs to me that the submarine zone is more dangerous for the submarine its self than for any allied vessel. There are reasons for this, turn of events that I’m not permitted to tell. <To the best of our knowledge not even one submarine poked it’s nose above water. They are afraid to come up for air. On the same day we arrived one submarine’ came into the same port and surrendered—starved out. It has since been reported that two others have done likewise. Writing this letter has presented more difficulties than any I have ever attempted in my life.

There are a million things to write about, a great fund of observations and experiences to draw from. It is so hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. And the chaff is all that one can write of. The vitally interesting things are of course, of use to the enemy and because of that and for our own safety and well being, comment in that direction is not perm'issable. Because of recent submarine activity along the Atlantic coast the danger zone is technically considered to include the whole of the ocean between the two continents. We were required to wear life preservers (jacket like affairs), and a canteen of water the entire trip. In view of the novelty of the experience the voyage was worthwhile. Conditions and accommodations were as good as I expected—though that is not boasting. The food was excellent, but even so, you would have been astonished at the remarkable aversion to food some individuals had at certain times. There seemed to be an epidemic of acute indigestion, "headaches, and a dozen others petty annoying indispositions, but not sea sickness. Oh no, far be it from that? What with the pitching and rolling of the ship, narrow, slippery companionways, and much crowding at mess time, the business of eating whs a propostton worthy of our most worthy consideration.. One day we were diverted by the antics of a baby whale which plied at our starboard for a considerable distance. I say whale because it looked as much like a whale as anything else. Besides, a whale is a safe thing to discuss for very few people know anything, about them. The sailors said it was a shark, and for that very reason I am convinced that it was something else. ■ Soldiers have found in the sailor a most reft&ble source of unreliable information.' In dispensing information the sailors seem to have a greater regard for effect than the truth, and it is just as well. All are I recall the case of Fred Young, a Chicago lad. He is inclined to he pessimistic. A master of satire, but withal possed of a saving sense of humor. I passed him on the top deck the fifth day out, crumpeled up against an air funnel, sick and dis-