Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star Tuesday, June 26th, 1917. THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star Tuesday, June 26th, 1917. THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

The Admiralty -report issued for the woek ended Juno J7th in connection with the submarine blockade was as follows: Arrivals 2897 Sailings 2993 Sinkings— Over 1600 tons Under 1600 tons 5 Unsuccessfully attacked 31 ■Fishing- boats sunk ' Nil The -figures fox- the previous week and the aggregate for the past seventeen weeks are as follows: - Last Seventeen week: weeks: Arrivals 2767 42,134 Sailings 2822 '43,127 Sinkings— Over 1600 tons 22 349 Under 1600 tons 10 140 Unsuccessfully • attacked 23 319 Fishing boats sunk ' 6 117 Th 0 following return shows the amount of shipping in each week since February 18th, the vessels over 100 tons that were sunk and the number ’of vessels that were unsuccessfully attacked, fishing boats being disregarded:— A rrived Escapeu

Tatalß 85,261 489 819 jLvei»g* 5015 29 19 yhcso figures are of necessity impressive. ~ They indicate that the erL ®' my are using their best weapon to the greatest advantage. The signs of a month or so ago that the menaoe was being overcome, arenot now so apparejjfi, for figures during fch« past

tiro irsoks of the vessels sunk £yie the average. •On the other hand thos e which have escaped are also weir auuv© the average, so that the means for grappling with the great menace are being improved steadily. Th e effect “on •the British tonnage is a serious thing, Apart from valuable and most news- j sary cargoes lost, ships are entirely | lost also. However much the- ship building may be organised it wiH not bo possible to keop pace with the present high rate of losses, while, at the same time thor© is tho knowledgo that the labour and material which has to ho concentrated in this direction are lost to other avenues, not one whit of less importance in the matter ofwinning the war. Certainly the United States is putting forward a hustling scheme to moot the situation, but this effort has been late in stnrting, and _ will lmvo much leeway to make up. ! The British mercantile marine, must suffer very much. It is to the credit of that service that shipping to and from Britain is being Maintained as well as it is. Despite tho losses and 'th 0 enormous risk run the volume of shipping trade is actually increasing, and last week was at its highest over the sovontoeu weeks of serious menace. ,It has to bo assumed, too, that the enemy losses are material. Accounts are meagre, and ther© is nothing definitely official as to tbo , number of losses. But if they are «» large as they are hinted at, tbo drain is not without significance to tho enemy. To find crews for those sui> i marines the enemy must be training its naval reserve very seriously, if not I materially depleting its Grand . Fleet. * Hi is is a penalty which will balance ! tho British mercantile loss, for it | means the ineffectiveness of fixe Ger- ! man Fleet. Indeed the fleet has been ! most effective merely by keeping up | appearances. How long this can ,bo ! maintained remains to be seen, but ! tho time must be approaching again | when the naval strength of the com- | batants will be tested. This might bo ! hastened only by tho “digging-out” j process which has been hinted at by. Lords of the Admirably, who are not now in office. To cope with -the submarine menace wo may be sure the authorities are exerting themselves to the very utmost, and if it is necessary to undertake a grand attack on the main naval base, no doubt oven tbis costly effort will bo made. For tbe rest there must be confidence in the silent Navy that it is doing its part not less courageously than tli© wonder- ! ful mercantile marine and that sooner or later the bravery and perseverance of the authorities will triumph j over th© ruthlessness, of afoo which \ knows no check other than tho might and majesty of superior power.

Week and Vessels from ending: sailed: sunk: attack Fob. 25 4541 21 12 March 4 . 5005 22 12 March 11 3944 17 16 March 18 5082 24 19 March 25 4747 25 13 April 1 . 4680 31 17 April 8 4773 18 14 April 15 4710 28 15 ' 'April 20 4866 51 24 April '22 5206 55 27 May 6 . ,, 48/3 46 34 May 1,3 5120 28 - 19 May 20 5413 27 9 May 27 5487 19 17 June 3 5335 18 —17 June 10 5589 32 23 June 17 5890 32 31