THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1917, Page 5

THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

THE WORKTOP THE FRENCH NAVY. Paris, May '2O. Rear-Admiral Laeaze, the Ministoii of Marine, replying to interpellations, out lined the means of defence against -Xo undersea boats, in the Chamber of 'V puties to-day. , "I 6ee no reason why I should ttet speak of theee methods in public," said Admiral Laoaze. "It would b« okiUisb to think th«y are unknown to the ■ ■*Chcy oonsist of a system of pairid iiaata : or arming merehantiuou witii guns and ' fitting them with wireless; of seaplanes, nets, mines, smoke-raising devices, and

' <lra£-n«ts. "I sought to get patrol boats trai)i. -hew a,nd boy thsra abroad. I scoured I>ho Wurlrt «» with missions, covering ; 'b* eToniMt hum America to North Capo, m Pnp» (if Good Hope to Japan, W been beforehand. When j ' -m.iwl Ukf Ministry I found 243 « Kvw w» hint 562. (A SocmU.. ntnt. *ll to iomidtt-blo.") aSUSG TO TJ-BOAT PATROL. '"I do not say it is formidable," eon'imicd the Minister, "nor even sufficient, and I have drawn op a scheme whieh will increase tic Arure to 000. I continue to buy tn London, the world's ; centre far shipping, lam obliged to do so becaoso our shipyards have been ataiost completely abandoned; because,. M a muli »{ that ahdrt- war theorr l •whitii w«igh«4 *o MgrettaWy upon 3& dceisions Uk«a it tie outset of the war, tho yarda had been' trsnaformwl into ■ war material factories to moct the presslug need of tho national defence. W<® b«v« n»w ett bade most of the arise wJb utl a aumber of privnt* yiwU, together wi* ikilM wwJuiißß. " 1 "®* gnu; w« mount on the patrol 'bwrts l»v* bean referred to disdainfully, bia ,»«s cannot put-ten-centimetre guna on a itnali vessel. A patrol boat anrujd •rift-.W millimetre met two aibtnarmes armed with W5 millimetre gnus,, sank 004, and put tie other to (fight. *W« kr?u 1300 drag-wts, sg well as t$%K9 ototain not* twd SOCIO SOU feulj nsfa, wkie& tedwato tho presence of nub-< aarfaes, W« have special bombs lor suUwaxfaea and apparatus to thttw &sm. SEAPLANE POSTS ORGANISED. "We luva organised igapkne posts ail wound Vm coasts, so that tho zone of action of each post joins that of .Its il-eighbour on either aide. By October ■all merchantmen and patrollcrs will bo, fitted with wireless, and ail merchantmen supplied with guns of as heavy, calibre as passable, for •wfcidi measures: programmes hat>e been drawn up even .beyond w&at was thought possible., "For building the plates and frames . hrequiredj M. Boucher (tJuder-Beerettay. .for Munitions Jfr charge of lie nuwufacturißg sections) has started up again all, the rolling mills. They will be able to: supply us with, the plat.es I asked far,, an! We hope that the merchant marine will alpo be able to obtain the quantity ! pf plates to wHah it is entitled,"