Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-07-29
NOT YET SEA RULER
Supremacy Of Submarine Re-
mains to Be Proved.



London.-It Is a year since Admiral
Sir Percy Scott published his famous
letter on the use of the submarine In
warfare.
The chief points he put forward
were:
Submarines have entirely done away
with the utility OF ships that swim on
the water.
No man-o'-war would dare to come
within sight of coast adequately pro-
tected by submarines.
II by submarines we close egress
from the North sea 1t Is difficult to
see how our commerce can be much
interfered with.
With sufficient submarines about it
would not be safe for q feet to put
to sea.
No feet can hide itself from the
submarines eye, and the submarine
can deliver a deadly attack even in
broad daylight.
With a fotilla Of submarines
would undertake to get into any
harbor and sink or damage all the
ships in that harbor
There were many replies to the let
ter. Lord Sydenham admitted that
the submarine would undoubtedly i'm
pose new risks on large ships in GER
tain waters, and If favored by chance
would obtain occasional successes. In
remarking that submarines could not
serve all the purposes demanded of
ships it is noteworthy that Lord Sy-
denham anticipated that warfare con-
Quoted by submarines alone must lead
to piracy"
One Of the ablest Of Sir Percy
SCOTS anonymous critics, signing him
self R. NJ, said:
We cannot regard the torpedo,
whether carried by the battleship,
the destroyer or the submarine, eth
er as decisive or a primary weapon.
At the most it introduces an element
into naval warfare equivalent to that
which ambushes, surprise attacks, cut
ting out expeditions play in other
kinds Of guerrilla warfare. It will af-
feet grand tactics profoundly, but in
no sense incidentally, as its use can
seldom If ever prove Of decisive ef-
feet"
This seemed to be the opinion Of
the great majority of navy men. Win
ston Churchill said In a speech that
many believed a blow might be struck
beneath the water which will be ia
tai to the predominance Of great bat
tleships at any rate in the narrow
seas. That time has not
come yet, and the ultimate decision
Of naval war rests with those who
can place In the line of battle fleets
and squadrons which In numbers,
quality and homogeneity, in organiza-
ton, in weight of metal and in good
shooting are superior to anything
they may be called on to meet"
Sir Percy Scott, in reply to his crit
les, opposed Lord Sydenham's asser-
ton that submarines would need
parent ship and suggested that their
range of action was increasing. AS
q matter Of fact it Is now believed
that the German submarines in addi-
ton to what supplies of oil and 9TH
er necessaries they can get from dis
guised ships are using submarines Of
the old types as tenders and bring
them to the surface for the purpose
Of transferring supplies
Admiral Bacon said in letter:
THE idea of attacking commerce by
submarines is barbarous." Sir Percy
Scott evidently considered this objec-
ton would have no weight In the eyes
of the Germans, and replied:
Our vulnerable point is our oil and
food supply. The submarine has in
troduced a new method Of attacking
these supplies. Will feelings OF hui
manity restrain our enemy from u.s.
ing it,"
He added:
To exterminate submarines Is a
difficult task. An easier task would
be for the enemy's submarines to ex-
terminate us by stopping our supply
of food"
He pointed out the probability that
the enemy's submarines would not
go out into the high seas to find our
food ships. why not wait at the
mouth of the Thames, or any other
port, where he will find them coming
out like railway trains?"
BURNED HOUSE A GOLD MINE