Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 141
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[Page 141]
one doesn't know unless to impress the Huns with a naval might which didnt exist. What a pleasant job going to sea in one of those packets. Wooden guns wooden armour and not even able to bolt if need be.
If the Germans showed fight they were done their one hope lay in a quick stampede on the part of the enemy.
The Suffolk did things well in the early days of the war. They used to patrol outside New York and have tug boats bringing out fair New Yorkers for tea parties.
Thus does the Navy go to war but this little pleasantry was soon stopped and when we later went on the patrol we surveyed the Long Island beaches and the bathing machines from the chilling distance of three sea miles.
At the beginning of August the Sydney was almost ready for sea and amid the same panic that ushered her in she was taken out of dock. We went alongside the wall and began to paint ship. All our bow waves and futuristic designs on the hull had now worn off and when we were repainted we resumed our normal aspect the authorities had apparently decided