BRITAIN'S POWER OF DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1917, Page 5

BRITAIN'S POWER OF DEFENCE.

,J RESULTS BELOW GERMAN EXPECTATIONS. ESCORT FOR SHIPS. Received Feb. 9, 0.55 p.m. Berne, Feb. S. Statements in (lie German press in •'■- 'ile ii'i'i'- Hie icsults of the first week's .'■i-.M'-i lie l'iv_>l>li'u!iiess were below expidatj.ns. An article has been published miika-iising the British Navy's <" pi.\v:-i-- i.i' .'ei'ciife av.aiii-t submarines. s Tin. !■■ i-iir.c:- Zeihiii" says that British > ii.i-.-i-. i.i' de.-4ru.vi-i':; are escorting B n'l . h;'.- i',.'u'!'iii; 4 ihe danger zone. '' '>' ■ ■■■ ■'•■■ /clung -tines that ela- » I 1 ' 1 '! ! •'•'■■: : li patrols have been estab-i.s:-L-.i t s DEALING WITH SUBMARINES. ■l ■ ' "!:'i PROVE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. R!a,vi-;t destroying agency. .. v using statement. r «. London, Feb. 8. Naval cirehis Me reticent regarding 1 tlie submarine position, though they »' state that the latest methods of deals inn with them have proved highly ef- > fective, though many losses must be ex- '-' pected. e We now have in our possession the means of destroying submarines or reni dering them ineffective, which must ulti--1 mately solve the problem, but the public " must not expect a speedy collapse of f the menace, whereon Germany lias staked her all. 9 The Board of Admiralty has dealt " with several new schemes for destroying " submarines recently, including one ' whereof the details are a closely- * guarded secret, though it is announced ' that the experiments havd shown that 1 the invention is capable of performing J all the inventor claims. A prominent trade union official con- ' netted with engineering and sliipbuilds ing said that Germany had not alto- " gether caught us napping. If the Admiralty gave some evidence of the re- ' suits of the measures already taken, it would prove a great moral assurance to the public. While the information was not forthcoming the people must maintain a quiet confidence. The uev spaper Fair Play says that by forcing neutrals into the arena, Ger- ? many will defeat her own ends. At the outbreak of war 588 German steamers, 0 of a tonnage of 2,408,450, took refuge in neutral ports. Of these seventy-two, with a tonnage of 353,88(1, took refuge in the United States. The entry of 'Portugal iyto the war reduced the total by seventy-one, of a tonnage of '231,798. ' If all or part of this tonnage were placed in the market it would to a con- " sidorable extent undo the work of submarines. HOLLAND'S INDEPENDENT ATTIj TUDE. Received February fl, 7.10 p.m. Hague, Feb. 8. The Premier in the Second Chamber, f defined Holland's attitude. He said that the. 'Government had hitherto nmintaincd a fixed and independent attitude, and 3 there was no reason now wliy it should act otherwise, though it had lodged a stiong protest against Geriu.-tny's attitude, which could not be considered as bc'ng in conformity with the principles of international law. s Holland desired to emphasise the prini ciple of the freedom of the seas, and tho P Government will certainly oppose by force of arms any violation of tho e neutrality of its territory, from whicht ever side it might come. SOLE SURVIVOR OF THE LARSKRUSE Timers Service. Received Feb, fl, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. .8. 1 The chief engineer of the Lnrskruso '• lias arrived at Copenhagen. He is the * nolo survivor of the crew of eighteen. 0 He says no warning was given, and that the vessel was sunk in a rough sea. f The captain, being unaware of Germany's * decree, entered the danger zone. ■FURTHER SINKINGS. London, Feb. 7. The British steamers Saxon (12,385 t tens) and the Briton (10,248 tons) have '■ been sunk. Two of the crews were y killed. The Azul (307+ tons) is believed to have been sunk. Twelve survivors are on board a sailing ship. Received February 0, 7.10 p.m. Sixteen vessels have been reported 5 submarined to-day, including the SwcU dish steamer Varing (2107 tons), the ii Biitish Vedamorc (6330), Saxonian (4855). i The American schooner Charles K. i. Scluill (SS4 tons), which left Giilfpon,, e Mississippi, for Rotterdam, was sunk b west of the Tortugas (at the entrance . to the Gulf of Mexico) on Sunday. Other a sinkings include small trawlers. e FURTHER LOSSES. London, February 7. The British steamers Saxon (1,385 tons) and Briton (13,300 tons) have t been sunk. Two of the crew wen: killed, s The Azul (3074 tons) is believed to i have been sunk. Twelve survivors are ,- aboard a sailing-ship. n SUNK WITHOUT WARNING. London, February 7. e The Admiralty reports that the Port f Adelaide, which was carrying passengers 1 from London to Australia, was torpedop eil without warning on Saturday. The r passengers were landed at Vigo. The 'Peruvian, which sailed from London, was submarined on 'Monday in [. Spanish territorial waters. The Admiralty comments that these incidents emphasise the withdrawal of - Germany's pledge given to the United e States not to sink any passenger ship e without warning, and also their claim for consideration of neutrals. .Altogether twenty-three sinkings, aggregating 43,700 tons, have been reported during twenty-four hours, of which thirteen are British, including the Port o Adelaide (10,2.5''. tons), Crown Point ■- (5218 tons) and Vest™. (1021 tons), t Losses during February thus far are 54 v vessels, compared with 118 in January, iggrcgJitmsr 255.918 tons.