Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 8
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[Page 8]
Great excitement ensued as the result of this message, all hands were ordered by the captain to muster on deck, after which a lecture was delivered by the Captain:- Mortimer Le- Silver, to all officers & men on the seriousness of the situation, and the possibilities of our meeting with the German Pacific Fleet.
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War always developes the two sides of nature one is Greed, lust for money, and territorial aggrandisement; the other was the more Humane elliments, to the former, was our suspicions directed toward our enemies, as they had known to have been preparing for offence, rather than defence for the past 40 years, therefore we were all fully conscious of the fact, that we were up against the most scientific and warlike nation, that had ever been known before in the history of the world.
The German Pacific Squadron consisted of the 'Sharnhorst", Gneisnau", "Dresden", "Emden", and "Nurnberg" with the "Konigsberg" as an additional unit, the two former were known to be very modern, and
[Capt. Mortimer L'Estrange Silver]