£150,000 GIFT TO THE STATE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 281, 23 August 1919, Page 7

£150,000 GIFT TO THE STATE

A remarkable letter in the London "Times" announces A gift of =£150,000 lo the State as a thank-olfering for victory. The writer, "F. S. T.." who does not: disclose his identity, tells the wealthy classes that they have to-day an opportunity of sotvioe. which can never recur. He urges them lo impose upon themselves a voluntary levy. His estate is worth ,£580,000. Ho has "decided to realise 20 per cent, of that amount, or, say. ,£120,000, which will purchaso jL'lafl.OOO of the new War Loan, and present it to the Government for cancellation." Commenting on the suggestion, the "Times" remarks that there aro many "war profiteers" who. could ask themselves what their sacrifice has been so l>ir. and what, t.hey can sparo to-day. "It would, work, a great, change in tlio murky atmosphere of social-economic, discussion around us," it adds, "if this example wore followed to such an extent that a. really substantial amount, of war debt were paid off, by a voluntary levy."

lo electrical drive, which was necessary every limo she submerged. The addition of theso listdning devices l(> submarines added tho heretofore lacking sense of hearing to all the underwit lei™ craft, and mado llieni at once a much more effective weapon of offence. A Grim Chase, "An Allied submarine on one occasion chased a German U-boat for four hours, while both craft: were submerged, without onco losingsbund-contact with the enemy. 'I lie engagement: occurred one'morning in tho English Channel. A small squadron of chasers discovered an enemy craft movim; slowly up the channel submerged. Forming for the. attack, they rushed over the spot, where their listeners indicated tho U-boat to be, dropped a pattern of depth bombs, and then withdrew In take observations. - "Feverish activity and the sound of hammers ringing against the ship's side was heard. Tlio suhmarino engines would then start up and slop, start, and slop again. "Further-attacks were delivered, and more noise came to the listeners from the hold of the submarine. Evidently the first depth, charge had taken good effect, and the enemy's crew were makinu a. last desperate effort, to roach. Iho surface. Then there was a. dead silence. broken at last by twenty-five sharp reports like revolver-shots. The crew, giving up in despair, had committed suicide. The loss of this submarine was later substantiated bv the British Intelligence Department." Other Incidents. Another time, on New Tear's Day, 1!)18, Captain Leigh went out in the Channel with three trawlers, with the dietecting apparatus. A wireless message .from an airship gave the position of a submarine which had just been seen to submerge. Tho Channel had been laid out in squares to facilitate'the location- of craft, and the. squadron steamed over, got .their-devices out, and picked up the submarine course. To quote further: '"When believing themselves about over the enemy they discharged depth bombs, and later a trawling instrument was used to indicate that the submarine had been destroyed. Great quantities of oil rising: to the surface also substantiated tho success of the attack. ■ "After some months another squadron was equipped and sent into tho Mediterranean mid Adriatic, where at this tiuio submarine-activity was at its height. "Three of the chasers patrolling in formation abreast one dark night, heard a submarine approaching. The bearings obtained by the two beam vessels point-

Ed directly toward the centre boat. The middle boat now heard the submarine approaching from a position dead astern. The en'emy came nearer and nearor, and tonally passed right under the chaser, so close to tho surface that, those on board jell, a wave of water along the keel of their ship. "When the German had passed on and out; in front, the attack was made in unison, a pattern of bombs was 'let go.' and the little fleet balled {or further observations. Pretty" soon the whirl ol the submarine electric motors was heard, evidently in an effort to reach thu surface. "Then came a crunching noise, not un-. like the popping in of a blown-up paperbag. It was apparent, that the submarine had been damaged and put out of control, and that she had collapsed from tin* tremendous water-pressure at these depths. "Manv incidents of this kind occurred during the subsequent operations in foreign waters, and several fiibniarines were accounted for through the direct aid of the American listening devices. In fact, naval experts state with conviction that if the conflict, had continued through another summer the submarine would literally have been driven from tho ocean." j