The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1917. SHIPBUILDING AND ANTI-SUB. MARINE WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1917. SHIPBUILDING AND ANTI-SUB. MARINE WORK.

Considering that Germany regards her submarine campaign as her trump card against the Allies, and especially Britain, is only natural that the developments of this weapon and its antidotes should receive constant and close at. tention. To the Dominions especially the subject is one of the utmost importance, for on the maintenance of their seaborne trade their prosperity depends. The weekly returns of losses of vessels by the operations of the U-boats have become a species of maritime barometer, the fluctuations of which are eagerly watched on both sides of the ocean, and ■. "1 information relating to anti-sub-marine measures is keenly imbibed. Unfortunately in one respect, it is part of the policy of the British Admiralty notto disclose the details of the toll taken of enemy U boats, but it ia manifest that, in view of the rate at which these piratical craft are built by the Germans, the process of destruction must be very considerable in extent, otherwise the list of victims would show an alarming increase. A recent cable states that, act cording to the dictum of a well informed authority, the systematic destruction of submarines has reached such a stage that it nearly 'counter-balances the German output of these craft, thus indicatI ing that the menace has about reached its limit. At the same time he points out there is no universal remedy for combating the menace, but he asserts that the means now being used are efficacious, but, what is still of far greater importance, is the statement that the growing forces now at the Allies' disposal show that in the near future we shall not only hold the menace in check, but repress it. In large measure this optimistic statement i» borne out by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Eric Geddes, who asserts that our anti-submarine measures are still being developed, and are proving more efficacious. He, however, points out that the enemy is still building submarines faster than we are sinking them, and is also sinking ships faster than we are replacing them. Although there is. an apparent divergence between the views of the two authorities quoted, in reality they materially agree, especially on the point of the growing efficiency of anti-submarine measures. Sir Erio Geddes, although stating that Germany is sinking our ships faster than we have been replacing them, holds out hopes that this state of affairs will bo remedied in the near future. He also draws attention toonother important factor—the repairing of damaged ships—and his statement that, since June, only three torpedoed ships in Home waters were not salvaged, comes as a welcome surprise, for, as he points out, the repairing of ships takes less time and material than new construction, and as fifty-six vessels nre now undergoing repair the outlook is greatly improved. Moreover, the world-wide augmentation of mercantile tonnage that is now proceeding, coppled with tlie ever increasing efficacy of anti-suiliimirino measures cannot fail to vastly improve our position before long. lle?.mvlii]i- economv is urged. It is *f*'sfactory to knuw that the require-

ments of the \merchant service are not affecting the strengthening of the Navy, the output of war vessels being infinitely greater than before the war. Evidence of this is to be found in the fact that the personnel of the Navy is to be inoreased by fifty thousand men, so that Britain's lighting force will suffice to maintain the (supremacy of the sni» and the defence of the Empire. When Sir Eric Geddes made his first speech after being appointed to the held of thAdmiralty he said: "The submarine danger is serious, but it can be overcome, and 1 honestly believe it will be overcome." He asked to be judged by his acts and not by his speeches, and m 's proving his worth by acting up to his ijelief and instituting measures to justify lus confidence in the task he has undertaken. He is typically British in this respect, not recognising that defeat is possible if the right means are taken to obtain victory, land as a step towards that goal he is devoting his energies to putting an end to the submarine menace. It is a large order, but there is little doubt that ultimately the object will be achieved.