The Washington times., 1916-07-10
THE DEUTSCHLAND: A MARI.
TIME REVOLUTION

II Is considerably less than 100
years since the first steamship
crossed the Atlantic ocean. She was
a sailing vessel with steam power
auxiliary; or, il one prefers, . steam
ship with sails as auxiliaries. It
may be imagined that If her trip had
been made in war time, and her use
of steam power had enabled her to
escape a blockading fleet, there
might have been considerable ex-
element over the performance, and
some inquiry among naval authori-
ties as to her status. Today we
would regard that discussion as
rather amusing.
So with the Deutschland, q mer-
chant submarine, which represents
another revolutionary step in mari
time construction. She is understood
to have been built by private capital
and enterprise, to be listed as a mere
merchant vessel. to have brought
cargo and mail. No possible rea-
son why she should not do SO. Nor
is there any reason why she should
not, as reported, mount two small
guns to be used for defense; the
merchant vessels of the allies do
that, and are entered and cleared at
our ports without objection.
1t is needless to say that the
Deutschland's performance is Won
derful achievement for the new
maritime genius of Germany. It will
not revolutionize merchant shipping,
either in peace or in war; yet it is
great accomplishment. The sub
marine that carries torpedo tubes
has disappointed expectations that it
would retire battleships to the realm
of obsolescence; and the submarine
that carries cargo will no more take
the place Of the cargo ship that sails
the surface Of the waters.
Some new rules of warfare, as re-
CARDS submarines. will have to be
formulated and enforced. Heretofore
it has been assumed that q subma-
rine was a warship, to be sunk on
sight and no questions asked. But
with merchant submarines carrying
the cargoes Of peace, differentiation
is necessary; the submarine must be
identified as a war vessel before it
may be attacked. On the other hand,
in enforcing this rule for the protec-
ton Of peaceable undersea craft, it
will doubtless be necessary to impose
some conditions upon warcraft OF
this type, requiring that they shall
disclose their presence and charac-
ter before attacking. It would seem
that not all the advantages accrue to
the submarine from making it a mer.
chant as we'll as a war vessel.
No feat Of the present war will
more powerfully appeal to public
imagination than the voyage Of the
Deutschland. Her cargo of dyestuff.
and other chemical products repre-.
sents, at present prices, an immense
value. But as a step to effectually
breaking the allies blockade Of Ger.
many, 1t. must not be assumed thai
very long progress is represented
The allies will hunt the seas on new
ways, and the Deutschland will bt
able to account herself lucky indeed
If she shall ever safely sail into Z
German port again.
Even IL she shall accomplish this
1t is impossible that such a feet o,
submersibles may be put out as Il
break the blockade. There is a wild,
difference between carrying a cargt
of concentrated value, such as chemi
calls, and carrying a Thousand hug,
consignments Of such bulky articles
as foodstuffs, raw materials for Ger
man industry, and the like. To built
such fleet Of submarines as woult
seriously affect the blockade is tssl
quite unthinkable of accomplishment
during the present war.
Germany, elated over this achieve
ment, will naturally overestimate III
economic significance; the unre
strained imagination of enthusiast
who see the dream of Jules Vern,
more than realized will soar into new
realms. But the cold fact is tina
the Deutschland does not very ma
terially change the status of thing
maritime, either naval or merchan
dising, SO far as concerns the pres
ent war. .....