The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-16
STRANGE CORPORATIONS.
WAR ECHOES

New York Times Possibly there was something of luck in the sinking of the German submarine U-15 by the British cruiser Birmingham, but the theory of fortunate chance, while 1t might have accounted well enough for the cruisers s first hit. Is severely strained by the sec- ond. which completed the work of de- struction. That does more than hint that the British gunners were remark ably good marksmen.
 The real significance of the episode, however, lies in its apparent revelation that the many recent prophecies as to the efficiency of submarines against warships of the older sort are not go- ing to be fulfilled. In this case, at any rate, not only did two well directed shots put an end to one of the much dreaded little monsters, but a whole
 fleet of it's companions, instead of hur- rying in to inflict the ready blows on helpless antagonists that were expected of them, turned hastily away and fled
 for safety. The commander of each of them had seen that his periscope, though so small a mark, could be shot | blinded, soon had to rise to the surface
 to get it's bearings. and that then it was an easy victim for any more stable craft with guns and the skill to use them.
 All this would be hardly less true at night than in the daytime for darkness is even more of an interference with the movements of submerged than of emerged craft, and the latter are all provided with powerful searchlights with which to pick up the always be- traying tube without which the sub marine is helpless. In the most favor able of conditions submarines operate with margin of safety frightfully small, and there has long been d, sus- picion that they would frighten rather than destroy an enemy. What can hap
 pen when the enemy refuses to be alarmed this incident discloses
 New York World: Far out of pro- portion to its theoretical military im- portance, considerable as that may be. is the news of the French victory at
 Altkirch and the easy occupation of Mulhausen. "0nce more the French are in Alsace!" Is the cry along the boule- wards; already every Frenchman looks forward to the day when the statue in the Place de la Concorde that repre- sents Strassburg can be stripped of its mourning emblems; and in France the effect of an idea and an enthusiasm is electrical. An advantage that even mill tary theorists would recognize is the impetus this victory must give to Alsatian volunteering, which already was heavy.
 For more than 40 years Alsace and Lorraine have been German territory
 The zaben incident revealed how im- perfectly the oppressive legislation for the Reichsland had quenched the fires of French nationalism. The enthusiasm with which the advancing French sol diers are received proves how true was Bismarcks instinct that the enforced possession of the two pfovinces would prove perpetual source of feud with france and fester of discontent with l in the empire.
 plind successes in Alsace must not pima observers to the disparity in the iorces stiil to be engaged. The Germans VIII pour against the French invasion tremendous army. It is possible that some Austrian troops have been made available for the supreme moment by fthe slowness of the Russian mobiliza- ton and the practical dropping of the Servian campaign.
 But for the moment the French <oc- cupation in Alsace provides a sensation and surprise comparable to the nm expected firmness of the Belgians in holding the forts about Liege. Rochester Democrat: The ideal soldier.