The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1917. THE SUBMARINE PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1917. THE SUBMARINE PROBLEM.

In view of recent developments, especially as regards the Italian reverse arid the Russian collapse, the question of the prolongation of the war naturally becomes of supreme importance in connection with Germany's submarine campaign which she regards as her trump card in the war. It stands to reason that the longer the war lasts, the greater will be Germany's opportunities for increasing the destruction of her enemies' shipping, and as she is well aware that Britain is largely dependent 011 ocean transport to supply her needs there can l>e no doubt that Germany will put forth 'her utmost efforts to cut off supplies of all sorts from overseas. In his recent statement in the House of Commons, the First Lord of t' > Admiralty (Sir Eric Geddes) said that ninety per cent, of the total vessels sailing in the Atlantic trade routes were convoyed, and that since the convoy system was started the total loss had been only five per thousand. After alluding to the fact that the displacement of the Navy was to-day seventy-one per 'cent, greater than in 1914, and that the net reduction in tonnage during the last four months was at present thirty per cent, less than was estimated in July, the First Lord pointed out that the net reduction in tonnage since the beginning of the war was only fourteen per cent., but he 'had to admit that Germany was building submarines faster than hitherto and had not yet attained her maximum strength in this ■ direction, so that submarine warfare was becoming a test of determination, grit and ingenuity between the two contending forces. On the other hand, now that America is devoting her vast resources to aid the Allies, including the great inventive skill of her foremost men of science, it is fair to assume that both in the matter of attack and' anti-sub-marine devices the campaign will prove for Germany far more difficult than heretofore, ibut no good purpose is to be served by undue confidence in overcoming the menace. There i g no disguising the fact that victory depends quite as much on the elimination of the menace as on the operations on land. In great measure the coming sea struggle will be one between more numerous and more destructive M boats on the one side and more scientific measures for their destruction on the other. The veil which enshrouded the anti-submarine efforts was recently lifted sufficiently to enable a fair estimate to be formed of the success which has attended the efforts of the Navy to cope with the menace by direct means, but there appears to be a probability of securing decisive anti-submarine weapons, and if this proves to be correct then the prolongation of the war will have its compensations, for it would be highly dangerous to leave the power of submarinism as it is at present unless Prussian militarism is utterly destroyed. It can easily bo understood that it would be disastrous to allow Germany to hold a weapon that could at a moment's notice be used to destroy the Allies' mercantile marine in case of future friction after peace was declared, and only an effective antidote i-iiuld prevent such a calamity. It is this antidote that has to be evolved and when it has been Droved to be reliable

the maritime.nations can breathe freely. Already, Britain has been compelled to become intensely agricultural and if the necessity for this change continues then her industries must suffer, and in face of the enormous financial strain of the war it will be more than ever needful to increase rather than diminish her industries and commerce. (Moreover we have to regard the question also from a Dominion's point of view, for without the ability to get.their vast products, to overseas markets the outposts of the Empire must languish and decay. Great Britain and the world-wide units of the British Empire, as well as the United States of America, are all vitally interested in tin's problem, the solution of which can only be found in a victory so decisive that Germany's evil power of destruction is completely eradicated. To this end all the energies of the Allies must he devoted with ever-increasing determination and activity. No peace can he acceptable that does not insure us freedom from interference with ocean transport, which is. the life blood of the Empire, tfiid freedom from attack by the jealous and swashbuckling Huns. We have to deal with an enemy to whom treachery and disregard of guarantees have become an obsessi'on, therefore our duty is plain, .and we must flinch from no sacrifice to attain the needful security by all the means and resources that can be pressed into the service of right as opposed to that of might. The submarine has shown where our weakness lies, and it is imperative that the antidote he evolved and applied. The problem is one thai we hope is nearing a splution, and the sooner this solution is accomplished the nearer shall we be to the dawn of peace.