The Daily News. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. THE SUBMARINE RAID.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 204, 5 February 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. THE SUBMARINE RAID.

Tho German Government has issued another impudent proclamation. It states that the British are about to snip troops and war material to France, and adds:— "We shall use all military means to prevent this. We warn peaceful shipping against aoproaching the north-west coast of France, owing to the danger of being mistaken for transports. Ships trading to >lorth Sea ports are advised to proceed around the north of Scotland." This by way of excuse for attacking inoffensive merchantmen and hospital ships. From the Germans we have learned to expect no observance of the laws of war or the dictates of humanity. They bow to nothing—but force. Foiled on land, beaten on sea, they are now endeavoring to smite Britain by attacking her commerce with the submarine's torpedo. But the Germans have forgotten that even the submarine can be harried. That special attention will be paid to these vessels by the British Navy may be taken for granted. The Navy has not failed us yet, and it is quite capable of dealing with this submarine menace. This was shown in the fighting off the Belgian coast, when the monitors and cruisers which did such great execution to the j German forces on their way to Calais were protected absolutely by destroyers i from .attacks by the enemy's submarines. Submarine cannot light submarine,, but destroyers can most successfully, and it may be expected that our destroyers are more than usually active in the Channel just now. (As ler preventing the transport of the British armies across the Channel -, hundred German submarines could not accomplish that. Wc have not yet lost a man in soa transport, and it is unlikely that this good record will be broken. The Germans realise that, with the new British armies in the field, their hope of success will be shattered once and for all, if indeed they do not realise the fact now, and naturally they will do

their best to bottle up our troops. They have attempted to frighten England by aeroplane raids and naval raids, and, failing in their purpose, they are resort- ] ing to the submarine raid, but they are j destined to fail again. It is their last, card against Britain, and they are play- J ing it with the desperation of tiie j gambler. To them it does not matter ; whether the vessels are engaged in j peaceful pursuits or in conveying troops j —they are to be torpedoed, and the ' pnl' l; c of Britain duly impressed i\. !!ut the il-rivcns have yet :,.;■ )<am if Kriiiv! character. At-' , oi '.hese natuK v. 11l only

strengthen tne determination of Britishers to circumvent and overwhelm tfte enemy. There is another feature in the cables that should interest us in the colonies. We are told by a German- j American weekly paper that the trl- t dent of the sea is about to be wrenched I from the hands of the Mistress of the Sea, and we are kindly advised to "cut , the painter" before it is too late. The < , smashing of the Kmden is not to be held l ] against ti<c colonies "in the final reckoning with a generous adversary." The average colonial will smile, and wonder ; what the cable man is thinking about ; in forwarding such puerility, but the statement is characteristic of other asseverations "made in Germany" for the benefit of the trusting and simple folk living beyond the borders of the Fatherland. They but serve to show how extremely loolish Germany has been all along the line, and how gravely she misjudges the feelings and intelligence of our people. There will certainly be a final reckoning, but the nation that will dictate terms and impose her will on the world will certainly not be Germany, who, on the contrary, will be called to account for her atrocious acts on sea and land, in the air and under the water, lier latest outrage in torpedoing hospital ships and inoffensive merchant vessels not being the least of ■ the counts she will nave to answer.