New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-13

upon the success or failure Of which
in its present undertaking the whole
future course of history depends.
Fooled in her stupendous effort TO
force a decision with her armies and
with the war on land at practical
deadlock. Germany has looked TO her
"unterseeboot" for last chance OF VIC
tory. and her success or failure Will
depend upon whether or not she can
build, equip and man her underwater
fighters at a greater rate than that at
which they can be destroyed. She mas
been quick to appreciate the advantage
of the so-called manufacturing sys-
TEN" in this connection, and 1t Is safe
to say that all other considerations
have been subordinated to this one end
and that every yard in the empire is
working day and night on the produc-
ton of standardized submarines.
Germany Building 1000 U-Boats
In the April issue "The Scientific
American" reviewing the capacity OF
the German yards, says that it is prob
able that there are 1000 submarines
under construction at the present time.
II points out, further, that in the mat
ter of supplying Diesel engines as we'll
Standardization, othsrs sqesNHts SfSr'
such craft, Germany is peculiarly fort
innate, and that her idle high seas fleet
can supply the men as they are needed
Now. with six months as a conServa-
tive estimate of the time required 70
build a submarine, the gravity OF the
present situation is obvious. What II
England has, as some claim, destroyed
or captured 100, or even 200, U-boats
since the beginning of the war! is
this sufficient grounds for the belize
that she can unaided break up the
blockade that aims at her starvation !
II seems to US that IL is not.
In view of the situation, our part IN
the war probably will be something
more aggressive than the mere defence
of our harbors and coastwise shipping
from the ravages Of the U-boat, which
alone is a big undertaking. Naval men
seem unanimous in their belief that we
should strike across the water and, now
that we have frankly entered the war
with the purpose of bringing the Prus-
sian autocracy to its knees, 1t may be
that they are right.
President Wilson's View
That the President holds this view
seems likely from his war address to
Congress, in which he cites as our hrst
duty "The immediate full equipment OF
the navy in all respects, but partlc-
ularly in supplying it with the means
of dealing with the enemys subma-
rines."
Now, what does this mean? At the
outbreak of the war there was no spe-
cialized instrument for combating the
submarine, with the exception of the
torpedo boat destroyer. Some author
tiles still cling to the destroyer; but
this is large, expensive vessel, with
more speed than has been shown by
experience to be necessary for this
work, and with no greater destructive
ability than might be had on much
smaller vessel. 1t would take too long
to build an adequate fleet Of such boats,
even if the expense were not prohlbl-
tive.
Others place their trust in the aero
plane or fying boat for coast patrol;
but. while the flyer is indispensable
for scout work, because of its peculiar
ability TO detect a submarine, even
when it is travelling submerged, and
while it should form an important part
of any system of coast patrol, 1t is
hardly the instrument to do the actual
work of fighting the U-boat.
do not wish to underrate the val
Of the aeroplane, even as an aggressive
instrument. Armed with bombs. which
might be so designed as to penetrate
a considerable depth of water, it would
be formidable indeed; but the brunt
of the work of patrolling off shore, day
in and day out, for possibly weeks at
a time and the work actually of giving
battle to the submarine will have to be
done by surface craft;
Much of the work patrolling the
North Sea and the coasts of the British
Isles has been done by steam trawlers,
a type of vessel used in large numbers
for fishing in the North Sea and, there