North Sea Submarines

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 249, 9 February 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

North Sea Submarines

NORWAY APPEALS TO BRITAIN GERMAN VIEW*. The strongly pro-German Norwegian newspaper Yerdensgaiig prints an article under the headline, "The Sinking of .Ship<s a.nd .British Command of the Sea," which has attracted wide attt.iition here. It says: "One must not heap reproaches on one Power alone (Germany) for the continual sinking of merchant ships under which Norway is suffering so terribly. The uuhar.ipered activities of German submarines i:i the North Sea and the northern sub-Arctic stands in strange contrast to the proud claim that 'Britannia Rules the Wave-.' Where is it to be discovered, except in the immediate neighbourhood of its homeports. ''"Becan-e of the great interests cow at stake, particularly for Norwegian merchant shipping, one must now demand that the English and their Allies take measures for effective protection c? neutral merchant shipping, vhiob, after all, to a very large extent, handles tho commerce to and from their lands. A widely extended protective service should be inaugurated. AMUSES CAPTAIN PERSIES. Commenting on this Captain Persiu"., the Tageblatt marine expert, says it is illuminative of the German view point on the present highly successful submarine campaign against contraband carrying neutral merchantmen.

"That this demand is made by Ibe Norwegians is understandable/' i-ays he "Tlie losses of Norwegian shipowners have been very severe recently. Premiums for war insurance have been increased up to 100 per cent, and for several dangerous routes insurance is no longer obtainable. The question however, whether Norwegian ships may still carry any contraband has not yet been decided. For the Norwegian skipping intore-.t.s the activity of German commerce destroyers in tho North Sea is naturally a hard blow, for they heretofore earned million.- and millions easily, and it is liaid for them to become reconciled to the fact that all this is to Ik? different now. llence the try for 'effective' protection.

"Will it be Leaid? Dare it to be fulfilled? It is ea-y to demand protective service again-t German commerce destroyers, but from experience so far it.s fulfillment should be impossible, llecently German destroyers made a thrust through tho channel to the line between Folkestone and Boulogne, and sank eleven outpost steamer-, several destroyers and a mail steamer. The Fuglish security service was inadequate 011 its own coast, and at that against overwakr warships. That it is impotent against submarine* is to-day no secret tho woild over. And yet, Norwegian critics demand effective protection again-t submarine-:. Have they followed the evolution of t*iis latest arm so littler The fact is that no warship, let alone a merchantman can protect itself again.-t the torpedo of a submarine. The defence invented to date- again.-t -ul'inaiilie attack has proved inadequate, jiarticulailv against attacks on merchantmen.

Ni:\J SI IJMAIJINKS SWJFT. 'To »e .-'ire a merchantman can attempt t ' --capo by takinc a zigzag course and by flight at gu-atcr speed, but very hiirh -p • <! i- necessary for this which very few merchantmen have. The new submarines r.re very light-footed. Moreover, every merchant -hip by such action runs tho danger of being ruthle.vly de-t!n\vd. Nothing help. One les.-Iv de-tnyed. Nothing helps. One quality of an fxtronicly etieetive commerce de-howl - . I'roof <■: ibis is furnished I'V the I ital of rneichant tonnage funic by oar -iibmariiii*".

"Imp effective' protection which is demanded i.'! Xoiwegi;:!! ijii.trfers is thus a problem difficult el' solution. It is out of the one-lion that the British I loot -hrttilil declare it- readiness to spread .1 -lu-Hering hand o\vr neutral merchant. i;i;• ~. -i 11it i- unable lo protect .vc',! own merchantmen, either I'V ccivoy or l.y the -tationing of patrol f).ip< n:i f.'ie nj.-.in routes. (Jeiii'.an -übmarine commander- would to he sure nail evi >y .«u> !i mea-ure. Xrv tliev only too infrequently find des!iahfc and woi*h v.hil,* i.iree!- tor t torpodoe- '-'ii" Tiriti-h «ur-iiips knew that t-uro protection i- conferred only t>v .staying jn poit, and they take gwef rare to avoid -ailing the "high sea* "Klfectivc' protection again-t the Geiman submarine danger can he best obtained I>y neutral liierchantmen in n't atteupting any longer to c.irrv contra- ' in! to cur etiemie-.''