New Britain herald., 1917-05-04
LISBON PROTECTED
 BY STRONG BARRIER
But Wars Blight Lays Heavy on
 All of Portugal

Lisbon. Portugal, May 4.-The har-
 bor of Lisbon has taken on 2 distinctly
 naval aspect since Portugal entered
 the ranks of tho Entente Allies. Or
 Commercial Square, which corre-
 spends with the Battery in New York,
 two long lines of destroyers have
 been drawn up clear across the broad
 entrance of the Tagus. The long
 black hulls of the destroyers are so
 close together that at half-tide they
 swing at anchor broadside toward the
 sea, almost touching, and presenting
 a double line of batteries pointing off
 at the German submarines dartinR
 along the coast.
 But Lisbon feels secure against an
 enemy attack by sea, for besides the
 double lines of destroyers, ready for
 defense or quick sortie, there are
 cruisers and gunboats with steam up,
 and back of them the big land fortifi-
 cations on both banks of the Tagus,
 rising on high terraces and present.
 ing semi-circle of massive stone
 front topped with lines of heavy guns.
 And besides these land and sea de- lenses, there is the feeling that the British fleet is not far off and presents
 a pretty solid barrier aganst the Ger
 man fleet bottled up in the Kiel canal.
 When the British naval commission
 visited here short time ago still an- other naval defense was devised and
 has since been put into execution. This
 is g. heavy steel net extending clear across the channel leading from Lis-
 bon to the sea. This can be lowered
 at stated intervals for the passage of commercial traffic. But when in po- sition 1t is not only bar to subma- rines, but any which venture near it are likely to be caught and held in it's meshes.
 There are two German submarines which appear. to be keeping a pretty constance vigil of the nearby coast. How they are provisioned and equip ped is a mystery. They have not done much damage to large merchant ships but give their special attention to the smaller craft and the fishing fleets. It has practically put an end to the coast ing trade, and good share of the trade of Oporto has been stopped. The shipping to England and France Is also greatly curtailed. This is adding to England's food danger. for much or her fruits and vegetables and most or her wine was drawn from Portugal. - No Coal at $1O a Ton.
 Portugal is feeling the pinch also, in being cut off from supply of coal from the Cardiff coal mines, and in having it's supplies of fish cut off. Coal has gone up to S37 and $40 ton and is so scarce it cannot be obtained at any price. The normal price is about $7 a ton. Besides the derange- ment of domestic heating and cook Ing, and the misery caused to the poor, the lack of coal Is proving ser ious menace to factories, railroads, tramways, and the heating and light- ing of public places, hotels and thea ters. The government has sought to the situation by reducing the lights in the streets, eftinguishing all at an early hour. and advanc- ing the legal time by one hour so that people will get up earlier and live more in the daylight.
 With long seacoast Portugal has always had such an abundance of fish as to feel proof against any lack of meat and other foods. But with the stopping fishing, the nor- nal supply of fish has suddenly been and the price has doubled and trebled, until the poor are un- able to get the usual supply of fish on which they depended. Four fishing boats were sunk within the last week, one fisherman being killed and three injured.
 The war Is making itself felt in many other ways. Most of the young men have been called into military service, as the small peace footing of the army has now been increased to a war footing of several hundred thousand men, Including about 40.- 900 sent to the western fighting front. as many more to Portuguese East Africa, and large reserve for home defense and recruiting the forces at the front. The streets of the cities and towns are now crowded with so1- dicrs. and at the railway stations one sees long lines of freight cars loaded with light field guns and military equipment.
 In the agricultural sections. also, the war is showing itself in the ab- sence of men and the increased num- :>er af women doing the farm work. - ride of thousand miles through lis farm country. with the spring ploughing and planting at it's height, not a man was seen in the fields. but scores of women were in the fur roughs following the plough and doing the other heavy work. This is not un- usual in Portugal, but war has made it universal.