Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-05-15
U BOAT MENACE IS
= Il = 4 z .
GREAT | WAR | CRISIS
Experts Are Hopeful That Rem
edy viii Be Found.
PERIL NOT YET OVERCOME

Announcement to the Contrary Has
Proved Premature Germany May
Yet Send Submarines to Our Shores
and Endanger All Export and Import
Trade.
The menace Of the German subma-
rine grows more serious daily. It has
now developed into the crisis Of the
conflict. Unless some means are found
within the next three months Of COM
batting or circumventing it the cause
Of the allies will become imperiled.
U boats are performing on a grand
scale what is equivalent in land op-
erations to cutting an enemy's lines Of
communication and supply in the rear.
Military history shows that, while this
strategy is not necessarily fatal, it in
wolves grave danger and requires rad
ical realignment.
So far England, France and Italy are
the sufferers, but if submarine warfare
develops in the next six months as rap
idly as it has in the past six months
then the United States is certain to
feel its effects. The range Of it's &C.
tivities can be extended from the pres
ent limited zones around England and
in the Mediterranean to the American
coast. This possibility is causing con-
Germ to our own naval authorities.
Secretary Lanes warning on the
gravity of the situation was not lightly
uttered nor without reasons.
Many Suggestions Offered.
It is now known that the announce
ment Of w. L. Saunders in New York
that the problem had been solved is
more Of hope than reality. His
statements were not supported or con-
firmed by government authorities In
Washington.
A large number Of suggestions and
plans have been submitted, and more
are coming in every day, but none Of
them has yet passed beyond the theo-
retical or experimental stage.
The proposals may be roughly divid-
ed into two general classifcations-
namely, devices for destruction of U
minimizing their destructiveness. In
the first class are innumerable inven-
lions for offensive weapons and arma-
ment, including deadly electrical APP
paratus. A sample Of the second class
is the plan for constructing large num-
bers Of wooden vessels to run the block
ade.
Secrecy very properly surrounds all
these proposals, and the government
intends to maintain strict silence about
them until actual results are obtained.
Germany would like nothing better
than to know in advance just what the
allies have up their sleeves or intend
doing. Severe censorship has been i'm.
posed on any further official or semi
official utterances like that Of Mr..
Saunders.
Losses May Soon Be Felt Here.
Submarine destruction Of merchant
ships even If confined to the Euro
pean barred zones will soon be felt
indirectly in the United States. The
loss so far has fallen only on England.
France and Italy through sinking OF
supplies consigned to them.
Within short time, however, COM
merce throughout the world will be
England will be obliged to
draw in her ships now engaged in for
eign trade for the greater necessity Of
directly supplying herself and her ar
mics. This will reduce the tonnage
now employed in carrying cargoes of
certain commodities which the United
States imports, such as wool from Eng
land and her possessions, hides from
tin from the Straits Settle
ments and rubber from the far east
and South America. A very large part
Of this trade is carried in British bot
toms.
If German submarines should dash
across the ocean and raid commerce
along the American coast there would
be panic in these particular commodi-
ty markets. The effect on our exports
Of foodstuffs, cotton and munitions
would be equally disastrous.