The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-25
British aud German Rivalry In
SubmarInes


submarines.
According Ia the pike Return the
British navy now possesses sixty-three
submarines and il building eleven: Ger
many has eight, and how many she il
building is not known: France has fifty
siN AMI is building twcnt y-thpe; tho
Intcd States has eighteen and is build
ing ten. Russia Possesses thirty and
thr,e are building; Italy il at standstill
with seven submarines, while Japan is
also weak in this type 81 ship, having
only nine, with three building. The
champion of the submarine in England
il Admiral Lord FISHER. whose advice
the Admiralty has followed for several
years despite the protests Of the mob II
critics of tho British construction policy,
who are never silent and are ever pratt
ing about the superior sagacity. fore
sight and energy of the German naval
authoritie-.
These critics were always ponting
OIL, that Germany devoted a good deal
Of attention 10 destroyers but spent
little money on submarines. from which
they argued that as the Germans always
knew what they were about. England
must be wrong TO put 80 many subma-
rincs into the water. These critics have
lately been Confounded by the fcverish
activity VI Germany in constructing
submarines although the work is done
under cover. and II now appears that
the Grrm&as are initiating the British
policy OF making the submarine an I'M
pOrtant unit Of attack and defence. Just
"a they acknowledged the Dreadnought
typo of battleship as indispensable by
designing and building them as rapidly
a. appropriations would permit
II is claimed for England that she
easily leads the world in submarines.
although IN ships owned and building
France has a slight numerical advan-
tage. The explanation is that England
Possesses very few submarines that can
I've put in the obsolete class. whereas
France has good many Of them. More
over il il said that in the British ser-
vice vast deal of experience has been
gnincd in the employment Of these craft.
and there is no navy IN the world that
possesses 80 large body Of officers and
men skill,d in all tho nicctie-s Of sub
marine navigation
In late number of BidckTOod's
Magazine Colonel A. COURT REPINGToN.
naval expert who pins his faith 10
the submarine and sees in il very
effective instrument If attack. declares
that neither Drcldnoughts. pre-Dread-
nouGhts nor super DrcadnoughtS will "A
few years hence have any place in a
naval war waged in such narrow waters
~ those II the North Sea. A super
Dreadnought, he contends. can he
sunk by n torpedo fired from an invisible
submarine. costing perhaps fsO,OOO or
cSO.GO. at 1000 yards range The
Admiralty does not agree with him
about the effect of torpedo striking
the hull of one If these big vessels at
such n distance. but at best II is n matter
II opinion, since no super DreadnouRh
has ever gone through such an ordeal.
-PersCups. another authority. makes
this comment in the Ndrdi and HdIGry
eral view Of the ,lsas Of the submarines:
80 ou- can doubt that the writer has reached
= correct conclusion regarding the submarine
- an Important offensive weapon which = likely
70 have a dramatic influence upon naval policy
On the North Sea. Thl. l. apparently the reason
vhIrh has I'D the Admiralty during the past few
years - devote ~ large = proportion - the sum
available for naval construction - the BuidI1g
~ these crru
Given a body Of water of compare
lively limited area. the sIbma rincs az
cording 20 Colonel REPiNGToS, can close
II 10 a line OF battle:
sNarms 81 desuoycrs ard submarines. and
every year more OF no latter VII. iaie,t this SEA-
and N. existence ~ every great ship yrnturnE
Into the area controlled rs these pests. which are
almost unasSsiiable by naval means, Will be nost
precArou-. or great ami costly batilcshlps and
cruisers must be slowed away safely IN some DIS
,snt safe AMI secluded anchorage ~capa Tlow
and Portsmouth, ~ day. Rsrehaven and Iough
swiftly perhaps IN MORROW The North Sea IN tine
Of var will BE- desert ~ waters insecure on both
sides open to nciiher commanded b. none
A. means Of preparing the way for
descent Of transports loaded with
soldiers upon IN" coast II Great Britain
this specialist believes that flotillas ~
submarines might be- successful. But
~ long a. Great Britain maintains a
long lead in having 50 many 81 these
hornet ships available. the answer Is
plainly that the Admiralty has nothing
10 fear from the building activity of
Germany Two submarines should GER
tanly 10 able Ia deal with one of the
cncmy, and fleet ~ transports could
not move toward tho English coast with
OUT tho unncrving dread II attack from
swarms of British submarines. More
over Great Britain has a superiority in
other types If torpedo craft that Ger
many cannot possibly overcome
Harvard nefnEe EIlns