Conquest of America: A Romance of Disaster and Victory, U.S.A., 1921 A.D.
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CHAPTER XII
REAR-ADMIRAL THOMAS Q. ALLYN WEIGHS CHANCES OF THE AMERICAN FLEET INIMPENDING NAVAL BATTLE
While the main German army pressed on in pursuit of General Wood'sfleeing forces, a body of ten thousand of the invaders was left behind atvarious points in northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania to pacifythis region and organise its industries and activities. The Picatinnyarsenal was now running night and day, under the direction of a force ofchemists brought from Germany, turning out shells and cartridges for theinvading army. The great Roebling plant in Trenton was commandeered forthe production of field telephone and telegraph wire, and the Mercerautomobile factory for military motor-trucks and ambulances.
I was astonished at the rapidity with which German engineers repairedbridges and railroads that had been wrecked by the retreating Americans,and was assured that the invaders had brought with them from their owncountry a full supply of steel spans, beams, girders, trusses, and otherparts necessary for such repairs, down to the individual bolts and pinsfor each separate construction. It was an amazing illustration of theirpreparedness, and of their detailed knowledge of conditions in America.
Trains were soon running regularly between Jersey City and Trenton, theiroperations being put in the hands of two Pennsylvania Railroad officials,J.B. Fisher, superintendent of the New York division, and Victor Wierman,superintendent of the Trenton division--these two, with their operatingstaffs, being held personally responsible, under pain of death, for thesafe and prompt arrival of troops and supplies.
For the pacification of Trenton the Germans left a force of threethousand men with artillery encamped in the State Fair grounds near thecapital, and it was announced in the Trenton _Times_ (made the officialGerman organ) that at the first disorder shells would be fired at thewhite marble City Hall, at the State House, with its precious collectionof flags and banners from the Civil and Revolutionary wars, at the BroadStreet National Bank, and at the Public Service building, which standswhere the Hessians surrendered in 1776.
Among hostages taken here by the Germans were R.V. Kuser, head of theTrenton Brewing Company; General Wilbur F. Sadler, president of the BroadStreet Trust Company; Colonel E. C. Stahl, a Civil War veteran and thefather of Rose Stahl; also the Roman Catholic Bishop James F. McFaul andthe Episcopal Bishop Paul Matthews.
Many Trenton women, including Mrs. Karl G. Roebling, Mrs. Oliphant, wifeof the General, Miss Mabel Hayter, and Mrs. Charles Howell Cook, weredevoted in nursing the wounded who were brought by thousands to thehistoric churches of Trenton, used as hospitals, and to the vast SecondRegiment armory.
Several American nurses came into possession of diaries found on woundedGerman soldiers, and some of these recorded excesses similar to thosecommitted in Belgium in 1914.
"On the main street of the town of Dover, New Jersey," wrote PrivateKarmenz, 178th Saxon Regiment, "I saw about fifty citizens shot forhaving fired from ambush on our soldiers."
"Glorious victories in Pennsylvania," rejoiced Lieutenant A. Aberlein ofthe Eighth Bavarian Army Corps. "Our men of softer spirit give thewounded a bullet of deliverance; the others hack and stab as they may."
The tribute levied upon Trenton was four million dollars in gold,recently realised by the State Treasurer from an issue of State bonds tosupply State deficiencies.
German officers made themselves comfortable in the Trenton Club, theLotus Club, the Carteret Club, and the Elk Home; also in the WindsorHouse, the Trenton House, and the Sterling House. Printed schedules ofrates for food and rooms were posted up, and the proprietors werenotified that they would be punished if they refused to give service atthese rates, just as the German soldiers would be punished if they triedto evade payment.
Officers of the German headquarters staff occupied Karl G. Roebling'sshow place, with its fine stables, lawns, and greenhouses.
A few days after the battle of Trenton, I received a cable to the effectthat the American fleet had nearly completed its voyage around SouthAmerica and had been sighted off Cape St. Roque, the northeastern cornerof Brazil, headed toward the Caribbean Sea. It was known that the Germanfleet had been cruising in these waters for weeks, awaiting the enemy'sarrival, and cutting off their colliers and supply ships from all portsin Europe and America; and it was now evident that a great naval battlemust occur in the near future.
I took steamer at once for Kingston, Jamaica; and on the evening of myarrival, July 10, I called on my friend, Rear-Admiral Thomas Q. Allyn ofthe United States Navy (now retired), whom I had not seen since ourdramatic meeting at Colon when the Panama Canal was wrecked by theGermans. I had many questions to ask the Admiral, and we talked untilafter midnight.
"I am horribly anxious, Mr. Langston," said the veteran of Manila. "Weare facing a great crisis. Our ships are going into battle, and within afew hours we shall know whether the civilian policy at Washington thathas controlled our naval development--the policy that forced me to resignrather than assume the responsibility for consequences--we shall knowwhether that policy was wise or foolish."
"I did not suspect that you resigned for that reason," said I.
His face darkened.
"Yes. There had been tension for months. The whole service wasdemoralised. Discipline and efficiency were destroyed. As far back as1914, I testified before the House Committee on Naval Affairs that itwould take five years to make our fleet ready to fight the fleet of anyfirst-class naval power, and to get our personnel into proper condition.I said that we were not able to defend the Monroe Doctrine in theAtlantic, or to force the Open Door of trade in the Pacific. I might aswell have spoken to the winds, and when the order came last April,against the best naval advice, to take our fleet into the Pacific, Ihanded in my resignation."
"You must be glad you did, in view of what happened."
"Yes; but--I am thinking of my country. I am thinking of thoseunfortunate ships that have come around South America without sufficientcoal or provisions."
I asked Admiral Allyn how the American fleet compared with the Germans innumber of ships. He shook his head.
"We are far behind them. Nine years ago, in 1912, we stood next to GreatBritain in naval strength; but since then we have steadily fallen back.Germany has a dozen super-dreadnoughts, ships of over 30,000 tons, whilewe have six. Germany has twenty dreadnoughts of from 20,000 to 30,000tons to our ten. She has four battle-cruisers, while we have none. Shehas a hundred destroyers to our twenty-five."
"I understand that these figures refer to the fleets that are actuallygoing into battle?"
"Yes. Germany's entire naval strength is a third more than that. I haveaccurate information. You see, our fleet is outclassed."
"But it will fight?"
"Of course our fleet will fight; but--we can't get to our base atGuantanamo--the German fleet blocks the way. For years we have beggedthat Guantanamo be fortified; but our request was always refused."
"Why?"
"Ah, why? Why, in 1915, were we refused eighteen thousand men on theactive list that were absolutely necessary to man our ships? Why have wepractically no naval reserves? Why, in 1916, were the President'sreasonable demands for naval preparedness refused by Congress? I willtell you why! Because politics has been considered more than efficiencyin the handling of our navy. Vital needs have been neglected, so that ashow of economy could be made to the people and get their votes. Economy!Good heavens! you see where it has brought us!"
On the morning of July 11, as I was breakfasting in the hotel withAdmiral Allyn, there was great excitement outside, and, going to thepiazza, we saw a large airship approaching rapidly from the northwest atthe height of about a mile. It was one of the non-rigid Parseval type,evidently a German.
"A scout from the enemy's fleet," said Admiral Allyn.
"That means they are not far away?"
"Yes. They came through the Windward Passage three weeks ago, and havebeen lying off Guantanamo ever since. We ought to have wireless reportsof them soon."
As a matter of fact, b
efore noon the wireless station at Santiago de Cubaflashed the news that coasting steamers had reported German battleshipssteaming slowly to the south, and a few hours later other wirelessreports informed us that the American fleet had been sighted off thesouthern coast of Haiti.
The Admiral nodded grimly.
"The hour has struck. The German and American fleets will meet in thesewaters somewhere between Guantanamo and Jamaica."