The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-09-16
DEMOCRATS TO OPPOSE
BUILDING BIG SHIPS
FAVOR COMBINING ADDITION TO
sUBMARINEs-oPlNloN OF
HIGH NAVAL OFFICER.

While the president, in conference
with the secretary of war and the sec
rotary Of the navy, is formulating his
military program for submission to
0 congress, not a few democrats of
/ prominence are taking occasion, in
. Washington, to declare against big
4 increases in the military service. ana
thus far not a single democratic sem
2 ator or representative who has visited
f Washington has declared in favor of
$ what Is believed to be the administra-
TONS program, says a Washington
correspondent.
The most that has been advocated
by democrats who have had business
in Washington Is an increase in the
number of submarines. No demo-
cratic senator or representative has
here declared for an adequate army or
for an adequate navy as naval officers
understand the term. 1t is quite evil
dent that, when the military program
goes to congress an effort will De tilae
to confine the naval increase - sub
marines, cutting out battleships and
~dreadnaughts partially because of
their enormous cost and partially be-
cause Of a popular belief that subma-
rines are more effective than battle
ships,
Expert View of Submarine,
Navy officers, however, are disposed
to look upon the submarine as a fail
Ire, in a way, and point to the Euro
pean wal as justiying their concln-
sion. Their view was well expressed
by a member of the general board of
the navy, who has given much time
to studying the naval aspects of the
war In Europe.
"The European war;" said this Off
cial, developed ideal conditions for
the use of the submarine as a war
engine. The German fleet has been
bottled up behind the Kiel canal and
no one has expected 1t to come forth
to meet the superior British navy But
there was no reason why German
9ubllhi lllGS Cbuiu IuL CDIlt6 OuL anu,
In fact, they have come out In large
numbers, but they have confined their
attacks almost exclusively to mer-
chant vessels. There has been 10 at
tack by submarines on the British
battleship fleet; there has been no
effective German blockade of British
ports, and what Is still more remark
able, not a 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.
Channel Left Free.
ION the contrary, Great Britain has
been able to maintain uninterrupted
traffic across the English channel;
she has sent hundreds Of Thousands"
of troops across without a single loss
of life and all her supplies and am
munitions that have been forwarded
to the front have gone across the
channel without the loss of a single
transport. England has been able to
bring her colonial troops to Europe
and land them by the thousands.
I'm the Dardanelles ii Is reported
that submarines have been somewhat
effective, but even there they have ne.
come up to expectations. The great
work done by warships al the Darda-
nelles has been done by the battle
ships. And 1t will be recalled that
Germany was able successfully to send
one or more submarines clear around
through the Mediterranean and up to
Constantinople, and yet her subma-
rines have been able to make no inn
preston on the British fleets in their
home waters.
Fleet Remains Safe.
There can be little doubt that Vt
the outset of the war the German plan
was to white down the number of
British battleships by the use Of the
submarines until the number of Brit
sh battleships was no greater than
those of the German navy. Could
that have been accomplished, we UNI
doubtedly would have. heard of the
greatest naval battle in the worlds
history, But IL hat was the German
idea, it did not work out. BY some
means or other, we do not know what.
the British navy has been able sue
cessfully to ward off attacks of Ger
man submarines, and not only that,
Great Britain has been able to keep
the English channel open throughout
the war. Certainly, If ever there was
o time when submarines would seem
to be most effective. it is in destroy
ing transports bearing troops and
supplies across the British channel.
"As commerce destroyers, 1t is adj
mitted submarines have great value.
and the United States beyond a doubt
Is lacking in submarines. Blu when
vt comes to effective fighting ships the
European war teaches most certainly
that battleships, ~dreadnaughts and
battle cruisers determine the strength
of a navy, and the navy best equip
ped with these heavy and speedy ships
Is superior to all others. Notwith-
Standing the damage done her COM
merce, Britannia still rules the waves