The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-10-02
Through Use Of Wireless Protec-
ton Is Given by an In
visible Fleet
COMMERCIAL VESSELS
RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS
Masters Of Merchantmen Act
Faithfully on Orders Given
I BY Navy

LONDON, September 2O.-H0w Eng
land was to he fed during a long and
bitterly contested war has always been
problem that has given the British
much worry. When u is remembered
that Great Britain is dependent on the
world for its food supplies il can be
understood what a war with q country
having a powerful navy would mean
and, when the present war started,
many wondered whether or not the Ger.
man navy would be able to cause havoc
among the vessels of the British com
mercial fleet and so cause trouble at
home.
The vessels carrying the foodstuffs
reach Great Britain from all parts of
the world, and the larger part of the
food is obtained in British possessions
far distant from home. This is shown
In one requisite, wheat, and according
to the British trade reports the impor-
tations for one year are just under six.
ty million hundredweight from the
British empire and fifty million hun
dredweight from foreign countries.
Wheat and other Supplies.
The British figure wheat by the hun
dredweight of 1l2 pounds, but here the
amount is figured in bushels. A bushel
of wheat is sixty pounds, 80 that a hun
dredweight is nearly two bushels by
rough calculation. From the British
Empire Canada furnishes approximate,
ly 40,000,000 bushels; India, 50,00O,000
bushels, and Australia, 22,000,000 bush
els. The United States furnishes about
81 100000 bushels; Russia, $4,000, 900
bushels and Argentina, 100000 bush
els. Ma Yrt
This wheat is only one item. Meat
also is imported from Australia, New
Zealand, Argentina and the United
States, and barley, corn, oats, rice, but.
ter, cheese and other items from all
parts Of the world. With this in view
It has been absolutely necessary that
the many steamship lanes from all parts
Of the world should be protected, and
to this end the huge British feet has
been always in motion.
| Years ago the method of conveying
was very different from the work Of the
present day In former years fleets OF
cargo vessels have been loaded in diff
ferent ports and when they have been
ready to start for home squadron Of
warsbips has been ready to sail with
1.-THE feet Of food carriers and has guard
ed them across the ocean, sometimes
safely and sometimes they have been
attacked by the enemy and some Of the
food carriers captured or sunk.
Importance OF wireless.
| Now the guarding is done by an In
visible feet and this is all through the
use of the wireless. Fhe most imnor
/ tant lane for vessels running from this
country to Great Britain is across the
north Atlantic and the navy Of Eng
land has made the travel on that lane
as safe as IL is on Broadway through Q
yerv simple and systematic method.
There are nine British warships pa
trolling this north Atlantic lane anG
they are working on a method very
similar to that of sentries at an army
lpost. These nine warships are the bat
tleship Glork and the cruisers GOOD
Hope, Drake, Blake, Essex. Suffolk
Lancaster, Bristol and Berwick. Eacl
one of these vessels has Il section Il
patrol and between Halifax and the
Irish coast each has about three hun
dred miles to protect, They are II
touch one with the other all the tint
and the vessels of commerce that arr
crossing the ocean are In touch will
these warships one after the other Tn,
captains of the commercial vessels tax,
instructions from the warships wher'
thew are to go. &J"
cit is an uncanny way of travel,
said one skipper who had made the triI
, across the ocean recently eve 90 OF
day and night, and are constantly Il
touch with one OF another warship. AM
vet we seldom see one Of them. The.
keen ont of sight, but they are tellinl
us just on what line TO steam, wher
we will meet some other vessel an
what we are to do.
"Tn case we should run near som
cruiser Of the enemy, which, however
: is not very likely now, we could kee
out of the way until help came an
then slip on while the British vesss
/ was paying its attention TO the foreigr
/ er.
Atlantic Route Distances.
The distance from New York to Hal
z fax is $40 nautical miles, or about 65
statute miles. From New York
Queenstown IL is 28l4 nautical mile
and. as the track to Halifax is yer
little Nout of the regular route IL
about two thousand miles from Halifa
J, to the Irish coast. 1t is that part
D the voyage that is most carefully guar
ed. 81. ,"= 5 r-
The steamships, particularly the pa
: senger vessels. are supposed TO folio
: regular lanes in time OF peace. The
2 lanes are arranged so that the chane
e Of collision are minimized, but ~
G now, If one could take a look at y
! logs Of the big ocean steamers II won
a be found that the lanes over which TN
travel are very different from tho
generally used, The changes are ma
by the patrol feet.
S With nine warships to guard abb
/, three thousand miles, one vessel b
!. about three hundred miles to cove
, These warshiDs can carry coal for
4 limited length Of time and then mu
J, be reeoaled and restocked with pro-
sions. Those that are near to eth