The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-10
DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS
WILL FIGHT THE
PRESIDENT

Nhlic the president, in conference
with the Secretary OF War and the
secretary OF the Navy, is formulating
ms military program for submission
l" Congress, not a few Democrats of
prominence are taking occasion. in
washington, to declare against large
increases IN the military service, and
lhuS lar not a single Democrats
senator or Representative who has
VISITED Washington has declared in
i,@yor Of what is believed to be the
ADMINISTRATION program.
he most that has been advocated
by Democrats who have had business
Ill Washington, is an increase in the
number Of submarines. No Demo-
cratic Senator or Representative has
mere declared for an adequate army.
or tor an adequate navy, as naval
oihccrs understand the term.
Battleships May Be Opposed.
It is quite evident that when the
military program goes to Congress.
an effort will be made to confine the
naval increase to submarines, cutting
out battleshlps and dreadnaughts.
partially because of their enormous
cost, and partially because of a popu-
lar belief that submarines are more
effective than battleships.
Naval officers, however, are dispos-
| ca to look upon the submarine as
failure, in way, and point TO the Eu-
ropean war as justifying their con-
illusions. Their view was well ex-
| pressed by member of the General
Board OF the Navy, who has given
much time to studying the naval es-
poets OF the war in Europe.
The European war;" said this Off
Ger, developed ideal conditions for
use of the submarine as a war engine
| The German feet has been bottled IN
behind the kiel canal and no one
has expected it to come forth to meet
the superior British navy.
U-Boats Attack Commerce Mostly
But there was no reason why Ger
man submarines could not come orr
and in fact they have come out in
large numbers, but they have confined
their attacks almost exclusively to
merchant vessels, There has been no
attack by submarines on the British
battleshlp fleet; there has been no
effective German blockade of British
ports, and what is still more remark
able, not single British troop ship
or supply ship, plying between Eng
land and the French coast across the
English Channel, has been sent to the
bottom by a submarine.
I'm the Dardancles it is reported
that submarines have been somewhat
effective, but even there they have
not come up to expectations. The
great work done by warships at the
Dardanellcs has been done by the
battleships
Big Ships Are Fighters.
There can be little doubt but that
at the outset of the war, the German
plan was to white down the British
navy by the use of submarines, until
the number OF British battleships was
no greater than that of the German
navy. Could that have been accom-
/ plished, we undoubtedly would have
heard of the greatest naval battle in
the worlds history.
AS commerce destroyers, it is adj
mjtted submarines have great value,
and the United States, beyond doubt
Is lacking in submarines. But when
1t comes to effective fighting ships,
the European war teaches most GER
tainly that battlCships, dreadnaughts
and battle-cruisers determine the main
strength of navy, and the navy best
equipped with these heavy and speedy
ships is superior to all Others"