A NEW WAR ON THE U-BOATS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 194, 6 May 1918, Page 5

A NEW WAR ON THE U-BOATS

BOTTLING lIP THE PIRATES , VAST MINEFIELD SOWN BY THE BRITISH (Rec. May 5, 5.5 p.m.) London, May 4. Mr. Archibald Kurd, (lie well-known 1 naval writer, in tho "Daily Telegraph" discusses tho new danzer zone in theNorth Sen, reference to which has already • appeared. Ho says: "It reveals an old • and well-guarded secret. The wisdom of tho policy of allowing tho onomy's submarines to reach tho high seas and hunt them there has been long- doubted. It was felt that it would bo better to block their exits from their bases. Tho Admiralty has admitted that |. tho nets have not been a success as ft barrage; that .the only effective bnrf rago would consist of an enormous minei field. The scheme was begun under j Lord Jellicoe, and tho work 1 must hare occupied at least a year. Many establishments wero kept busy making tens of thousands of mines and other contriv- ' ances. The now danger zone covers over ' 120,000 square miles. Tho mines used • earlier in the war wero often defective, and many improvements were effected after Lord Jellicoo became First Sea Lord at the Admiralty. He turned his attention to the problem almost imme- , dintcly he had been wiled to the Admir- \ alty to fight tho submarine. Ho <]o- . cided that the only way was to prevent them from reaching the trade routes. Every seaman realised that, mines would do better than anything else. It would now appear that Lord Jellicoo was alluding to this new minefield when ho prophesied that tho submarine would bo , mastered next August. Mr. Ilurc points out that the now mines will be specially , olfectivo against Germany's latest submarines, owing to the lattcr's great bulk. -Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. FRENCH STEAMEJTsIaRROW ESCAPE (Roc. May 5, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, May 3. The French stoamer Provence uan'owIv escaped being torpedoed in tho Mcdi- : terrancan on tho morning of April 13. Sho was torpedoed the same evening, llio steamer reached Palamw, where she was rim nground.-Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. THE SHIPPING LOSSES APRIL A BAD MONTH. (Ttoo. May 5, 11.20 p.m.) New York, May 4. Mr. Bainbridgo Colby, a member of the United States Shipping Board, in a speech at Baltimore, declared that mow than ten million tons of shipping £f sunk by German siirmanncs in 1!U/. iijo sinking's last month wero more than the combined tonnago that was built in Britain and the TJnifrd Stales during tho same Assn. AMERICA'S SHIPPING EFFORT, (llec. May 5, 11.20 p.m.) New York, May i : At present the total quantity of shipping completed in tho United States amounts to 077,371 tons.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CHALLENGING A LIE GERMANS ASKED TO PROVE IT. (Rec. May 5. 11.10 p.m.) New York, May 4. Tho Stato Department, through the Spanish Ambassador at Berlin, has asked Berlin to prove tho allegations that American aviators have been travelling as passongers on hospital ships.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.