The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-11
TECHNICALLY SUNK.
A War Game Practice Urged for Sub.
marina Attacks.

marine Attacks.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str! NO
one phase OF the submarine evil ~
equally regretted by pro-German anu
pro-Aliy. Whether ones sy mpathies lead
him to speak of the underwater boats
as piratical craft or as heroic avengers
Of starving women and children. he can
not but stamp as barbaric the practice
IL II can at all be avoided, Of sacrificing
human life and the hardly less cfuel
| waste of physical wealth In the form
Of ships that will take years to re-
place, grain that never will grow again.
and specie forever taken out OF the
! worlds circulation. And surely 1t IS In
| sane and barbaric n It be shown that
| all that the Teuton!c allies are striving
TO accomplish by means OF their SUD
marine warfare may be brought abou
without the sacrifice Of a human lie
or a.. ounce Of worldly treasure.
Once a year our own navy engages
in war A technical feet
Of enemy ships sets out from an un-
known destination TO effect u landing
on our coast. Our own navy seeks 10
prevent the landing. Scout ships are
sent out TO locate the enemy" and
when located the defending squadron
engages them In u technical battle In
which ships on both sides are "techni-
ally hunk. lneSb nHNc DVCu pht Is
Of action without one drop Of blood hav-
ing been shed or one whaleboat having
been sent 10 the bottom.
WHY cannot this ~ stem be adopted
In the actual war conditions now exist
ing? Germany Is concerned not with
the number OF enemies that 1t can send
10 a watery grave but purely with the
humble by which It can reduce the
forces actively opposed 10 Il. Germany
yaIpa M ,,pva tbrnpRh aen1tnR a ILIai-
tania, an Arabic. or a Persia to the
bottom Of the sea than she would hv
bringing about their Incarceration in
Hoboken alongside the wharves now
occupied by tho idle feet OF her own
merchant vessels.
That being so. | ask In all seriousness
why a system canno very readily be
evolved by which the reckless and
frightful waste OF human life and treas
ure now going on can be brought to a
halt.
A u boat spots an enemy merchant
ship. II signals 1t to come to and the
ship comes to at once or after having
been fired upon and finding escape i'm
possible, az the case may be. The sub
marine tags the ship and says
You're IT. The boarding officer
makes entry To that effect In the mer-
chant ships log and receives the mer-
chant ships commanders acknowledge
ment of the fact over the latter's sigma
ture. The captain of the merchant craft
Is then bound under honor to proceed
to the nearest port. surrender TO "A Con-
sui of sorne neutral Power and there he
informed until the termination OF the
war In the custody OF that Consul the
internmcnt To apply with equal force
TO all OF the ships passengers and crew
Of male sex and fighting age. The war
over. the crew and passengers are per-
mitted to CO.. the vessel and cargo
turned over to its captors or a cash in
demnity paid instead IL a price can be
agreed on.
\ valuable ship sent to the bottom
with a valuable cargo is a loss sustained
not only BY its owners. It's insurers and
the nation whose flag she flies. hut by
the world at large. \ money indemnity
paid to keep a ship afioat and put her
into service again when hostilities are
over means no greater loss to the payer
than the loss of the ship would have
meant and makes not only the payee but
the world at large, and that Includes the
payer, much the gamer.
And think o: the incalculable saving
of human lie hat this method would
bring about without military disadvan-
tage 20 the Teutons. And what cause
Tor friction with America and all neutral
Powers woul be instantly removed.
The very simplicity OF the plan Will
bring n smile OF der!slon to most faces
But what Is there about 1t that cannot
be worked OUT Even In these days If
bitter anlmosity and dlstrust Germany
and Austria will hardly doubt the good
faith Of any of the. Entente Powers
who pledge the nselves solemnly to live
up to such an agreement. Much less so
n the representative of a neutral Power
or the representatives OF all neutral
Powers act az Joint Stockholders.
or course this plan could lie put in
practice only as regards merchant yes.
sells. l. Y.
NV YORK. January 20