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Show U. S. DESTROYEI? SAVES FISHERMEN Frenchmen Left to Fate After Being Robbed by Germans, Picked Up by Americans. BASE AMERICAN PLOTILLA IN BRITISH WATERS, Oct. 19. (Correspondence (Corre-spondence of the Associated Press) Four French fishermen who comprised the whole crew of the fishing boat Quatre Frers (Four Brothers) were landed here the other day by one of the American destroyers. The Quatre Freres, after being stripped of everything every-thing of value by the Germans, including includ-ing the catch of mackerel, the fishermen's fisher-men's money and food supplies, was sent to the bottom by bombs from a submarine. The four Frenchmen were left to their fate, 150 miles from land, In a small open boat barely large enough to hold them all. After rowing for several hours n breeze came up and the fishermen hoisted a sail, which spotted on the horizon by thbir American rescuers was thought to be a submarine and was fired upon. The markmanship of the Americans was bad this time and the frightened Frenchmen hastily hauled down their sail and waved a white cloth. Half an hour later they were safely on board the American destroyer de-stroyer where they wore given welcome wel-come in the form of a good meal and dry clothing. They could not speak a word of English but one of the American Ameri-can officers knew some French and they got along handsomely. English Woman Interpreter. Ashore here the wife of a British sea captain acted as Interpreter. She had lived in France and Belgium for many years and speaks French fluently. She had the fishermen at hor house for tea. Describing their treatment on board the American destroyer, one of tho flshermon said: "My but those Americans mado a great fuss over us. When wo sat down to eat we had about ten of them waiting wait-ing on us. I guess they wore trying to show us how glad they were that they hadn't hit us. We will never forget for-get their kindness." When the Brittany fishermen of tho typo familiar in moving pictures, were set ashore at this village they stood on the pier and gave three cheers for the Americana, "Vivo la Amerlque," they shouted as tho blue-Jackets waved fare-wells fare-wells with their caps. |