THE EXPLOITS OF THE MOWE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 101, 22 January 1918, Page 6

THE EXPLOITS OF THE MOWE

AS TOLD BY THE COMMANDER The "Moweubuch," in which Count zu Dohua iSchlodien (cominandei of tho German sea raider Mowe.), publishes his exploits, was circulated recently. It is a book (states tho "Daily Nows" reviewer) that oiw reads with mixed feelings; but, take it all in all, it leaves a very bad tßstc in the mouth. The orders given before tho start were: "To lay mines at various places off the enemy coast, _ then a raiding campaign" (Kreuzerkrieg fubren). Tho Count- nays an unconscious tribute to his chief enemy by saying lie had to have recourse to "Miniikry" (note the it), and describes with gusto tho way in which the Mowe was disguised. Tho first coat of paint was washed off by a rainstorm, and the Mowo looked like a "floating zebra.' 1 With amazing good fortune the Mowo evaded Britisll patrols even in the sunniest weather. His comment is characteristic: "The English are, after all, obviously nicer people than wo are in general inclined to assume." A gale on Now Year's Day, 1910, delayed the work of mine-laying, but it was completed soon afterwards, and it suggests the following reflections: Wait and see, you all-too-confi-dent rulers of the octffin. what perhaps the very near future has in store for you. With tho fall of tho last mine the first appointed minefield is successfully completed, and who knows but that ill a rery short time the first gull's egg (llowenei) will have its effect? Another ealo nearly drove the Mows back on to her own minefield, but "tlie good German God" intervened. Another revelation of the captain's less pleasing self, comes in the passago : . For twelve days we have cruiscd in English waters, and no one has disturbed us. Only one single auxiliary cruiser did we sec, and even about her we can't be quite sure whether she really was one. Did the bad weather perhaps keep the brave British sentinels of the sea from their post? In Nelson's time they say things were different. We now come to the descriptions of the various sinkings. He tells lis how tlie first thing he did 011 sighting a ship was to try to find out whether she carried a wireless installation. If she did the first shot was meant for it,, and before shooting at it lie started "chattering wildly" himself, so that nobody could understand the other's message. The 'Capture of tlie Appam,

Whon he sights the Appam he as overjoyed, and says: That such a hugo ship should carry a valuable cargo it is safe to assume; but also that in accordance with the criminal practice of tlui English she is aimed with gyns the uso of which would be fraught with the most serious consequences for the ships, and more particularly for the passengers. Wc have heard this before, but. it is useful to know that it is not only a strictly-censored Press that talks in this strain. It is still more useful to have the Count's confession that he only showed consideration to Sir Edward. Mercwethcr and Mr. James because he had been told by the German prisoners on board the Appam that they had treated the Germans in Sierra Leone and Nigeria well, thus proving "an honourable exception" to the general run of British administration. , The account of tho fight with the' Clan M'Tavish agrees with what we already know of it. Tho Count's heart — like that of his Emperor at Louvain— bleeds for the sailors who were killed. AV'liCii he spoke to the captain he "read liiin a severe lccture" about his ''criminal recklessness" in trying to defend himself. The captain's answer was tho one that every good British sailor wouid have given, and here we have a somewhat astonishing confession: I must -confess that I liked tho sturdy frankness with which the old Scotch defended his point of view. 1 snook him by the hand, and admitted that in his piaee I should probably have done likewise. I still think so to-day. A few lines lower down he repents, seemingly, of his kindly thoughts of the captain of the Clan M'Tavish, and he concludes his exposition of tho Sea Law with the remark, "Anyway, I don't think he wept a tear over- tho dead Indians. They are, after all, only coloured, not white Englishmen." Ho has a good deal to say, by tho wa.v, about Indians. They welcomed the German allies of the Commander of ths- Faithful as brethren, and complained bitterly of English cruelty ami so forth. This is, of course, for home consumption. Out and Home.

The story of the way in which the Mowo took in coal at sea- from the 1 Corbridge, which was one of her earliest captures, is new to us, and new, too, is the account- ■of the escape of the Westburn from capture bv a British cruiser, owing to tlfe sinking of the cruisor just outside tho harbour of Teucrifie. The Westburn had just discharged her cargo of prisoners, mostly Knglish. The arrival of the Appam in an American port, and the presence of tlia | Westburn at TenerilTo, made it impossible for the MoxVe to keep the seas. Moreover, we are told, tile British intelligence Department is perfect-. So she made for home. She had several narrow escapes from capture, hut for obvious reasons wo are not told much about,them. How the Mowe readied Heligoland escorted by -warships, and with the house flags of the, ships she had sunk and captured (lying on tho foremast, we know from other sources. A few human touches. The crossing of the line was celebrated in tho traditional fashion. The Germans taken over from the Ai>pam were treated to sparkling Moselle. The fc'niperor sent a wireless message to the Mowe tolling the Count that he could distribute fifty Iron Crosses among the crew. Tho ' Count's greatest regret during the cruise was the loss of IU.K) cases of Ponimery on board the Maroni. The taking over of a largo quantity of errgs and excellent- cheese was a poor compensation. Bills of fare from tl,o Appam before and after capture aro reproduced. Tho first contains 21 items; tho second consists of macaroni —bread and butter—tea.