THE AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 7

THE AT SEA

BIAIDEN SPEECH OF SIR ERIC . GEDDES NEW FIRST LORD REVIEWS ; , THE NAVY'S WORK REPLY TO CRITICS

LA highly-condensed reoort of the ' following speech by Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, has already appeared in The Dominion. The speech was reported at great length m the Australian Press, and, as will he seen, is a highly important statemont of tho war situation at ieaj Sir Eric Geddes (Fi;st Lord of the Admiralty) delivered his maiden speech in tho House of Commons on November 1. In a long and important statement, ho reviewed the. naval situation. Special measures had been taken to increase tho power and strengthen the control of fho aaval staff in: planning operations. A new-section had been added to tho cp;r.v '■fcions side of the Naval staff, consistinj,' of younger officers- with recent eij<eri•ence in the Grand Fleet under- a flagofficer, who h.jd left the- Grand Fleet to ■ take :up the position. It was thus Loped to add to the ripe. and valuable experience Of- long-service and indispensable Admiralty officers the latest up-to-date &n<)#ledgo of naval warfare in its everchanging aspects. He anticipated this 'ivould be a great advantage, t'om tho fiftfthat the-Naval staff would be' in increasing personal touch with (lie Grand and other Naval-commands. Sir !Eric Geddes next dealt with l.hc -question'. <of the desirability of publishing the .tonnage ■ <5f British mercantile vessels si-nk owing to enemy action. He stated that the tdnnage- figures published by the enemy led to the conclusion that the enemy did - not know what was being sunk, but wonld-very much like to-obtain such information as a periodic publication would afford. He, therefore, considered that sufficient justification existed not to publish the tonnage. He, hovyover, Tvas able.-to supplement Mr. Lloyd ■George's information, which would show Wat We were making reasonably satisfactory progress in overcoming the submarine Menace. The Enemy's U-boat Losses. He prefaced the quotation of certain figures by explaining and justifying the transfer of men and material ■ from 0110 branch of . the -war industry to another, ■whether naval, military, or aircraft, onthe ground of concentrating activity as circumstanccs demanded. '■

Sinco tho beginning of the war between 40. and .50 per- cent, of enemy .. submarines, operating in the Norlli Sea and tho Atlantic and Arctic . Oceans, had been sunk. . The enemy in flic last quarter had lost as many submarines as during the whole of 1916. .' He confidently asked tho House: if that ■were not a satisfactory record for the IN'avy and mercantile marine. The Germans claimed to have sunk 808,1100 tons of shipping of all nationalities last Auigust. They sank a little more than oner .third of that amount of British tonnage, and-a little more than half of all nationalities. The German September figures were .672,000 tons, but they sank fur less than one-third of that amount pf British, and less than ono half ui that amount of all nationalities. Dealing iwith. the German claim that our tonnago was so diminishing that there were not enough ships at sea to enable submarines .to maintain their bag, Sir Eric Geddes .pointed out that; last April, which was the heaviest month of British shipping losses, our trade presumably flowed satisfactorily for the enemy. Last September was the enemy s lowest month of .sinkings, while Oar overseas sailings of 'all ships over 1000 tons were 2fl per cent. in numbers and 30 per cent, in tonnago [higher than in April.

"The real reason why the enemy's•■harvest is - poorer," added Sir Eric,' ' "is because the long arm of tho British Navy has reached v down into the 'depths. "British losses through submarines •fcava Steadily decreased since April, and latterly in a marked degree. September was tho most satisfactory month, and October was only slightly worse than September, and 30 per cent, better than any other month sinco tho unrestricted warfare began. The net reduction of (tonnage in the last four months is to-day 30 per cent, less than was estimated early in July. The lotal net reduction sinco the beginning of the war, from all causes, an British ships over 1000 tons, is under 2,500,000 tons gross, or 14 per cent. Notwithstanding the diversion of labour nnd material from morcantilo shipbuilding, the.resources of the country can again be devoted to building tip tho mercantile marine, since the submarino menace presently will be doing less damage." After summarising the progress mado in combating submarines, Sir Erie Geddes referred to the fact that the Germans wero •building submarines faster than hitherto, and that they had not yet attained their maximum strength. Submarine warfare' was, therefore, becoming a test of detornnination, grit, and ingenuity between the two contending forces.. He concluded that submarine warfare presently, would be going well for us, and one was justi-

Bed in regarding" the future with courage and confidence. He recalled that tho German mercantile nmrino before tho war totalled 5,000,000 tons. To-day nearly half of it had been sunk or wns in tho kutente's hands. He reminded tho public that wo have to consider the situation of the AUianco as well as ourselves, and strongly impressed upon them that tho greatest economy in food and nil necessary in order that we might bo en abled to supply coal and other needs or Italy and 1 ranee.