The Washington times., 1917-02-17
ANOTHER U-BoAT BLOW FAILS

For a time the submarine raid be-
gun February 8 effected unheard of
damage. The daily reports Of loss to
entente and neutral shipping, start
ing with a total of 42,400 tons on
February 6, continued high on the
four days following. The reported
daily tonnage losses in the period
February 6-10 averaged 25,000. On
February git was estimated that it
would require six months of daily de-
struction at this rate to reduce ocean
shipping to point where the means
of supplying British needs for sus-
tenance and war material would be
impaired to the point Of national ex-
haustion, but there was doubt Of the
likelihood that the rate Of submarine
destruction could be maintained by
the German navy.
Since February 10 the daily re-
ported tonnage loss has been ap-
proximately as follows: $500 on the
11th, 8,400 on the 18th, A. 100 on the
18th, 1890 on the 14th, and 10000
on the 18th. There is a wide varia-
ton in these figures: due partly to
the fact that a single large victim
ike the Afric, sunk the other day,
makes a difference of 10000 tons,
but also partly owing to change Of
weather which alternately impedes
and helps the U-boats. Nevertheless.
on averaging the daily score Of this
extraordinary campaign of marine
determination during the second FIVE
day period of its prosecution, we find
that the shipping loss in this period
came to but 10, 400 tons a day.
A like average for the month of
January, when 1886, 900 tons approx
mately went down, comes to 10000
tons lost per day. The deadliness of
the U-boat enterprise, as we may
see from this. suffered so severe a
slump in its second five days as to
fall below the daily rate Of desTruc-
tiveness maintained in a month be-
fore the new frightfulness had, with
fulsomeness of blood curdling Ian
guage, been proclaimed. By dint Of
trying to do more than their forces
warranted, indeed, the German ad-
miralty have overleapt themselves,
SO that the seas have been for some
days freer from disaster than at q
time before the campaign started.
Partly, the fewer sinkings are due
to fewer ships being at sea. At the
moment hardly one-quarter as many
vessels are leaving New York, for in
stance, bound for European ports, as
were leaving a fortnight before the
U-boat campaign started. The accu-
mutation of freight at American sea-
board points indicates unmistakably
the partial suspension of sailings for
Europe. Only the comparatively
short voyages from New York, had
time, however, to be postponed.
Those from Gulf. Panama, South
American, African, and Australian
ports were already undertaken when
the campaign started, SO that ships
from distant quarters must still be
approaching Britain through the for
hidden zone in great numbers.
In any case, failure to continue
sinking entente ships at the rate of
$4,000 tons a day is a defeat of the
German marine enterprise. Many
more tons, even of the present re-
duced volume of shipping, reach Eng
land daily than are sunk. So long
as the British receive $500 900 tons
a month of necessaries, they are suf-
ficiently supplied. There is little
doubt that they are. receiving that
at present, even with the maritime
activity reduced as it is. Since the
U-boats can neither terrify the more
urgently needed cargoes away from
the British coasts nor live up, even
approximately. to the announced pur-
pose to sink $4,000 tons a day, for
longer than five days, their attempt
has missed its main purpose.
No doubt the U-boats will continue
and will exercise every ruse. Re
newed and sudden outbursts of &C.
tivity may be expected. No doubt a
strong flotilla will lurk at Zeebrugge,
waiting for the departure of possible
conveys from New York. No doubt
special efforts will be made to sink