The Spectator., 1915-07-06
NUT YET SEA RULER
Supremacy of Submarine Re-
 mains to Be Proved.
War Has Disproved Some of Sir Percy Scott's Theories Regarding Naval Warfare-Radius of Undersea
 Craft Is increasing.

Craft Is increasing.
 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
 If by submarines we close egress from the North sea it is difficult to see how our commerce can be much interfered with.
 With sufficient submarines about it would not be safe for fleet to put to sea.
 No fleet can hide itself from the submarines eye, and the submarine can deliver a deadly attack even in broad daylight
 With flotilla 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 cer- 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- ducted by submarines alone must lead to piracy"
 One of the ablest Of Sir Percy Scott's anonymous critics. signing hiIn- self R. N, said:
 We cannot regard the torpedo, whether carried by the battleship, the destroyer or the submarine, eith- CT as a decisive or a primary weapon. At the most 1t 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 blow might be struck beneath the water which will be fa- 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- tion. 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 ics, opposed Lord Sydenham's asser- ton that submarines would need a parent ship and suggested that their range of action was increasing As matter of fact it Is now believed that the German submarines in addi- tion to what supplies of oil and oth- CT 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 a letter: The idea of attacking commerce by submarines is barbarous." Sir Percy Scott evidently considered this obiec- tion 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 hu- manity restrain our enemy from us- ing it?"
 He added:
 ITO 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 finC them coming out like railway trains?"