"COME AND GET ME."

Taihape Daily Times, 3 April 1918, Page 3

"COME AND GET ME."

Commanders and crews of the American destroyers operating in European waters are talking about a grim piece of Hun humour. Nearly every night the, eommander of one of the destroyers receives by wireless a message reading: "My position is (so many) degrees north and (so .many) degrees west. Come and get me. I'm waiting for you." The message is always signed Hans Eose. Rose is the German who took a submarine into Newport two years ago, welcomed society aboard his craft, and then went out and sank several steamships almost within shooting distance of Nantucket. According to the story passed around by men engaged in the thrilling and hazardous task of seeking submarines, the captain to whom is directed the nightly messages of the German subsea-craft sank two. The commanders of both were intimate friends of Kose. He has sworn vengeance. Not only does he send his taunting message, to the man he has never seen, but he goads him further by flashing a message defining the position of the destroyer. It is disquieting for the American commander, but he has no fears. Twice it is stated, he has swiftly guided his craft to the location described by his enemy, but has found nothing and seen nothing. Still the mysterious wireless dispatch comes every night, no matter where the destroyer may be. Others catch it, and thus the weird story is told wherever the hornets of the ses are seen.