New Britain herald., 1917-02-17
Henry Glen, S
Weekly Letter
Especial to the Herald.)

intensity, albeit the desire for and
belief in early peace is growing among
all the belligerents. Bitterness grows
each day and all indications point to
a resumption OF hostilities with the
coming spring upon more destruc-
tive scale than ever. Evidently the
worst Is close at hand, and to the
innumerable horrors already endured,
that of starvation IL now to be added;
starvation, not OF the belligerents
only, but of the millions of unfor-
tunate non-combatants in Belgium.
Poland, Armenia, Siberia, ETC. Human
endurance e must be approaching the
end. AS for the attempt to starve
England with submarines that will
prove futile. AT most the results will
not be worse than q temporary incon-
venience or deprivation OF some ar
ticles of sustenance. Great Britain
had a total ocean tonnage Of nearly
100000 before the war. or almost
one-half of the worlds total. The
losses from the beginning of the war
to the new submarine campaign were
about 100000 tons. of which. g.
100000 tons were British and the re-
mainder neutral. These losses, how
ever, have been very largely compen-
that. according to an estimate of the
United States Shipping commissioner,
the net loss of worlds tonnage in
January was about 100000 tons. OF
late the output of new tonnage has
been immensely increased in all parts
of the world by high freights and
prospects of their continuance for a
long period ahead. From this later
fact it follows that submarines will
have to increase their present de-
structiveness very considerably before
they can possibly even approach the
starvation of England. Much dis
tress and inconvenience may be &C.
complished, but starvation is prac-
tically impossible because for a var
iety of reasons the threat cannot be
carried out. First. 1t would require
fleet Of submarines many times
larger than the present one to ac-
complish such a purpose. Second, the
British navy seems tolerably able to
cope with the difficulty, and has evil
IDENTIFY found various successful means
of defense, such as destroyers, nets,
aeroplanes, traffic lanes, conveys, etc.
The submarine now appears to be
practically powerless against war YES
sells, and it's effectiveness against mer-
chantmen when armed is much re-
duced. No facts are given out by the
British admiralty as to the mortality
among submarines, but there is rea-
son to believe it is very high. At
British ports there are between 1000
and 1900 arrivals and departures per
week, each sailing offering an oppor-
tunity to the submarine. Since Feb
ruary l., 70 British ships. including
trawlers and fishing snlacks, have
been destroyed. This is an average Of
over four per day. 1t will require a
good many more than this to starve
and if that contingency was
in sight this country and other neu-
trails would undertake to ship food
and other necessaries to Britain for
profit, if not for humane or other con-
In this country alone
there are now 400 steel merchant
ships under construction with a tom
mage of 100000 tons. Japan and
Norway are also turning out a large
new tonnage. What Great Britain is
doing in this direction is not officially
known, although she is much the
largest shipbuilder in the world, and
has lately turned her attention to
building merchant tonnage with in
creased vigor. The hope of defeat
ing England by submarines is doomed
to serious disappointment.
The security markets have settled
down to state of inactivity pending
developments growing out of the war.
Liquidation has now been going on
for two months and prices are con-
siderably lower than when specula-
ton was at it's height. Our relations
with Germany are Of course the pivot
al issue, and the conviction grows
daily that it is only question of time
when some overt act on the part OF
Germany may drive this country into
war. Our patient president shows an
endurance with Germany's aggres-
sons that is unfortunately mistaken
for weakness. But the tremendous
responsibilities which he carries
should exempt him from all trifling
criticism. especially as his policy of
forbearance will place this country in
ran advantageous position before the
worlds court of public opinion. Some
uneasiness was induced by the
threatened outbreak in Cuba, also by
fears of renewed difficulties with Mex
leo, but thus far neither of these con-
tingencies are seriously regarded.
The most threatening domestic factor
in the business situation is aggrava-
ton of the freight embargo by the
submarine menace to neutral vessels.
Our own ships are still held in port
awaiting action Of the government,
which is considering the effects of
granting the protection which they
require. Not only the ships of the
American line are detained, but also
those of several neutral Atlantic lines.
AS a result, freight is piling up upon
the railroads at various points and a
serious congestion of freight is i'm
minent that will be ssl;ll further ag-
gravated by the scarcity Of cars and
the inadequacy of motive power and
terminal facilities. Much inconveni-
ence may be forced upon the public
by this situation. resulting in loss to