ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1917, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

FIGHT AGAINST SUBMARINES. BRITAIN'S GIGANTIC FLEET. 200 U-BOATS CAPTURED. San Francisco, February 28. As is well known in the Antipodes, Great Britain's policy ever since Germany resorted to the use of the piratical sea warfare has not been to disclose any information that might be of i)se to the Kaiser in regard to disasters that have befallen the hundreds of German submarines that now lie in English linrbora, but occasionally details are disseminated by travellers from the Old Country in. America that are of more than passing interest. In order to offset the baneful influence of German propaganda in the U.S. that German agents have industriously clrcuEngland has just initiated a new departure in sending to America a number of influential commissioners, and they are now busy visiting the principal cities of Uncle Sam's territory to lay before the real American citizens some idea of John Bull's efforts to wrestle with tho submarine menace. Next in importance to 'Sir Gilbert 'Parker, "England's publicity mm in the U. 5.," is Alfred Noyc3, the well-known English poet, who has arrived ill New York on this educative misison. According to this Britisher. England's anti-submarine fleet consists of -1000 private yachts, whalers, and fishim- vessels, manned by 10,000 men, and'' this force already had destroyed 200 German submarines. Interviewed, Mr. Noyes said: "Every boat is armed with guns throwing 12l'b oi- 141b explosive shells, ami has 1000 yds of steel netting trailing behind. All the 'Home waters are mapped out in blocks, and each block patrolled. Imagine 00 trawlers stretching a steel undersea net from the English to the Irish coast, and you get some idea of the .British Admiralty's anti-submarine campaign, bv which German submersibles have been driven from Home waters and forced to attack neutral vessels on the high sens." Mr. Noycs said he had spent many days with the trawlers, and was informed by their captains that a submarine rarely will attack an armed vessel. What becomes of a submarine after it strikes a trawler's net, Mr. Noycs says is a naval secret. AUSTRALIAN ATTACHE'S RECORD. With convoys of her newest -W-knot destroyers, heavily armed, circling at ex-press train speed around fleets of slow-moving merchantmen and freighters, Britain expects to frustrate tin latest and most menacing tactics of Germany's blockade. This is the statement made by that genial Australian, Crtptain Guv Gaunt, R.N., the British navnl attache connected with the British Consulate in New York. He savs this method will bo used to protect the cargoes on which Britain must depend for her very life. "In protecting our mercantile marine at the present time we have simply to consider the submarine," said Oaptaain Gaunt. "Half a dozen fast destroyers will he able to allord adequate protection to a fleet of, say, 30 merchantmen. '"lie range of visibility of a U-boat Is not more than three miles. This means that the destroyers will not be comjelled to steer a course more than three miles from the ships being protected. The big steamers will take the centre of. the convoy, aiid the smaller tramps tho fringe. Now, these small ships do not much water,, whish .vrjU, ttkltj it