The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-09
SUBMARINE AS A COMMERCE DESTROYER

7>HE WORK OF THE U-53 and such assistance she has, which cannot be than two additional boats of her own type, is prompt and effective
 Nine ships of carrying contraband of various sof captured destroyed by underwater cr in the few brief hours since the U3 made her dramatic appearance in Newport and her sudden exit therefrOm
 So far the evidence goe all of these ships warned and their obtained places of safety It may later appear that the conditions each complied with. is reasonable suppose however that Germany will make effort to keep her pledge to the United States especially when operating in the high adjacent to American coastal waters
 So far international custom is concerned it is legt mate for begeren to sink enemy ship in part of the high seas, in another.
 international usage beyond the three mile it off belongs to the world much miles British
 may yet have to revise their estimate of the comparative value of surface and underwater ships. ton to their size, and cost
 As engine of warthey economical for they infct the enemy expense in money and costln vastly in that suffered when the boat destroy
 The submarine being novelty, yet resultsof which probably capable chiefly because craft have not been built sufficient nuber because the efficient types hardly yet off the and because the training of and the mastery of methods is necessarily matter of evolution. l4.
 If German submarines the in considerable numbers and find bases from which to sustain themselves, they will be difficult to deal with. "
 The Allies slowly and painfully developed efficient meth the shallow waters of the Channel such mosquito steel oil covered waters underwater telephones and other things
 
 on high seas off the coast of the United States
 The Farmer has several times shown that the submarine much more weapon of defense than of offense
 multitude of small craft which the efficient submarines the shelter nearby friendly shores.
 These submarines operating against America for stance could be handiy met by the methods that Britain has used described above But is most difficult for the Allies those methods here The amount of fleet employ ed would have to be very great and might be enough to give German high fleet undue relation the total Allied fleet on the other side.
 The has indeed been brought to American shores agency which Americans invented and developed per- haps by agency belongs Bridgeport the person of Lake, and in physical of the Lake Torpedo Company which founded for is claimed that the man boats constructed upon the Lake principle
 presence of these submarines fraught with grave dangers United States The situation created should the submarine attack continue and grow would be most delicate There would follow such paralysis of the foreign of the United States which needless to say would be companied by far flung and most disturbances
 trade in the goods sold to Europe would intoerabe From such loss certain benefits might flow lower domestic price for wheat bread gasoline other things.
 But foreign trade brings to America many things sena to the conduct of much industry, rubber silk metals chemicals and other things
 By continued failure of such supplies to arrive materials the period of adjustment might be painful
 condition might thus arise impellng this nation toward part in conflict which has been zealously avoided