The Washington herald., 1916-05-21
Ruthless Torpedoing at Sight
of Neutral Vessels Believed
Intended Solely to Scare
Other Carriers Away from
War Zone.
By JOHN L. BALDERsrON.

BY JOHN L. BALDERsrON.
London. April GO.-Overshadowing all
other developments in the war at the
present time is Germanys submarine
campaign. Generals in France and ad-
mirals in England have told me within
the past few days that however the dip
lOmatiC controversy between Washington
and Berlin may terminate, it cannot re-
suit in Germany yielding on the main
point, which is the continued use of
the torpedo against merchant ships.
have not found, in naval or military
circles, a single man who expresses any
other view.
The campaign, they all say. is too sue
Cessful to be given up This does not
mean that a break between America and
Germany is regarded as inevitable pro-
vided America is willing TO look on while
scores Of neutral ships are sent to the
bottom, content If American lives and
ships are respected. 1t is thought here
that some accommodation may be reach
cd through Germany TCfraining hence
forth from attacks on unarmed passen-
ger liners which may be carrying Ameri-
can passengers and from sinking Ameri-
can ships may be carrying American
can ships without warning.
Tells Basis of settlement
The settlement of your quarrel with
Germany on that basis, or a rupture
the main ISSUE" one Of Ensland's most
famous sea dogs told me Whether
president Wilson wIiI accept such a set
tlement depends on what he really means
by humanity in whose Lame. rather
than in the namC of the interests Of
America, he claims TO be ACTING At the
present moment German submarines
have sunk 132 Dutch, Swedish Danish
and Norwegian ships in violation Of he
law Of nations; they have sunk only six
American vessels"
What this admiral meant by the main
issue" as it affects the interests of Brit
ain. and indeed the whole cause % the
entente, may he summed up as follows.
Since the beginning Of IIcruany's new
submarine campaign two months have
passed. and retail food prices in Eng
land have risen approximately 50 Der
cent. Much, if not most. Of the increase
is traceable to tonnage lost ny mine and
torpedo.
The tonnage available for peaceful
commerce between these islands and the
rest Of the world is now considerably
less than half what It was just before
war broke out as a result o. the demands
Of the army and navy and of losses
caused by the enemy.
Many Ships Withdrawn.
One-half Of the merchant shipping now
plying between British ports and neutral
countries is Ownel by neutraLs. and the
indiscrtminate use Of the tJIpedO against
neutral ships in the past f-w weeks is
having the desired effect on neutral own
eTS Some have already Withdrawn their
ships from war zone traffic. preferriug
rather to reap the prevailing high freight
rates IN the Pacific or south American
waters than TO risk destruction for the
sake OF the higher rates obtainable for
transport to England. Others are con-
stdertng doing so. All neGral ships thus
frightened away from EU-opean waters
are lost to the allies as much as though
they had been sunk. and their removal
operates to increase food prices and ag-
gravate the difficulties indicated below.
This war is being financed largely bv
Great Britain. which Is advancing more
than S15,OO0OO0 a day-Premier Asquith
has told the House Of COmmOns-to her
allies This country Is able to finance the
war through her export trade. The roun-
cation uCon which the towering edifice
Of British credit is reared is the mass Of
GOODS sent abroad, which pay for a con-
siderahls peTCsnJagNmOre tnan three
Uuarters-Of the war munitions sent to
Europe from America, and which in ad-
dition bring i'm much ready rGOnEy. The
continuance OF tire submarine war brings
Britain face to face with the following
problems:
Question Is How to Pay.
How can we pay neutrals for goods if
the volume Of our exports must be cut
in half because We have only half as
many ships as before for our commerce,
and II the number of those ships is con-
stantly decreasing?
How can we continue to finance our
allies If we can't earn money by our ex-
port trade?"
An this sounds alarming and purpose
TO present the Undeniably serious situa-
ton existing at present before dealing
with tho hnKpfuI
OF the BritSsh navy. and the fact that
the previous submarine campaign a year
ago was gTappled with and effectively
checkmated by Admiral Jellicoe, are fac
tors which will be considered later.
Since the war began" a shipping au-
thority declared, our own loss in merch-
ant shipping by mines, raiders and sub
marines has been about $500. 900 tons. But
II the present rate of destruction were
maintained, We might lose more like four
million tons a year. Those figures can
he seen in perspeC Ave. If It is remern-
bered that the merchant tonnage OF the
British empire. counting ships over 100
tons, was 19,431.543 at the outbreak of
war; while the tonnage of merchant yes
sells launched in the United Kingdom In
1914 was l6S5,553. We have never vet
launched two million tons in a wear
though we came very near to II IN 1q12
1t appears therefore. that while at the
present rate Of destruction there is no
prospect Of our merchant marine being
driven on the sea or annihilated within
any period which it is conceived the war
may last. the loss inflicted is neverthe-
less appreciable and greater than our
shipbuilding resources can possibly keen
race with year by year. even II they were
worked at their utmost capacity. which is
aln1ost out of the question"
Tonnage Falls BEHIND.
This statement Is optimistic Soar
city OF. labor owing to the 5000, 900
men taken by the army, navy and
munition and transport service and
demands made by the navy on the
dockyards for purely naval construc-
ton, make anything like the peace
production Of merchant tonnage ont
OF the question. I am told that the
merchant tonnage built in the last
three months in British shipyards ag-
Eregates one-half the amount sunk bv
the Germans in the week ending
April Is.
Optimistic statesmen and editors
continually try to cheer-up the pub
lie nv nriOffpz 10