Arizona republican., 1917-02-22
SIR EDWARD CARSON
TELLS OF SILENT WORK
OF THEIBRIT7SH NAVY


lord of the admiralty in the house
of commons today, had an inspirins
story to tell of the silent accom-
plishment of the British navy and u
was still more welcome because of
the unexpected and interesting re-
velation as to the extent to which the
navy is countering the submarine
menace.
The sacrifices which the nation is
asked voluntarily to bear in the
shape of self-rationing and the daily
marine danger the most absorbing
question of the moment and Sir Ed
ward Carson's statement was listened
to by an expectant house with in
tense satisfaction. Admiral Baron
Fisher. chairman of the invention
board: Admiral Sir John r. Jellicoe,
first sea lord Admiral Lord Beres-
ford, and other naval experts We're
in the galleries.
The public and press have been
daily expecting from the government a
more liberal policy OF publicity. Dui
few thought there would be any de-
Walton from the policy of secrecy
hitherto pursued. Hence the first
lords showing how submarines are
being fought by destroyers. seaplanes
and other means, and with what ap-
parent success, together with his
promise of further publicity in the
future, proved the most attractive
feature Of his speech
Besides indicating the gigantic
work of the navy during the war, the
transport of eight million men. nine
million tons of explosives and forty.
seven million gallons of petrol, and
the examination of over $4,000 ships.
Sir Edward gave statistics of ship
movements which will tend to restore
public confidence as to the extent the
submarine war is likely to achieve its
object. indicating the progress o.
arming merchantmen. with an in
crease of AZ per cent in the last few
months.
Sir Edward expressed the conf
dent belief that the evil would be
gradually mtigated. He admitted
that the allied losses were serious
enough, but were not equal TO the
blatant and eytravagant bravado' Of
the German account of them
Citing forty encounters of British
ships with German submarines in the
lest IS days. he gave interesting de-
tails lie said that few days ago
British 1estroyers attacked m enemr
submarine. which was hit the cap
tain being killed The submarine
dived. but was so injured it was
obliged TO rise again. and was cap
tufed and its crew taken prisoner
Another submarine was sunk by 81
transport. Two patrol boats reported
the sinking of two enemy submarines,
without themselves suffering any
casualties.
In introducing the naval estimates;
Sir Edward said the vote for 400. :
1Q0 men which the government way
asking demonstrated the strength o.
tho navy.
Sir Edward said he believed the
problem of the submarine menace
could be solved. but only If the ma
tion acted In conjunction with the
navy Commenting on the figures
showing the loss of shipping from
submarine attacks in the first eight
cen DAYS of February. Sir Edward
said:
our losses are bad enough. but
they are not equal to the blatant ex-
trdVagant travado of the German ac-
count of them" He gave the ship
losses for the period as 80.
In announcing that he had re-
ceived reports Of forty encounters
with submarines in the first eighteen
days of February. Sir Edward said
the fact that we got to grips with
them more than forty times in eight
cen DAYS was an enormous achieve
ment.'
As an instance in which the result
positively was known he cited the
capture by destroyer of a sub
marine and her crew Two other
cases from which he quoted dis
closed some of the methods adopted
for fighting the submarines In one
of these he referred 20 reports from
an airsh;p which had dropped bombs
where a submarine had submerged
a similar report came from a seaplane
Which had useu the same method
against a submarine.
Referring to ship building, Sir Ed
ward said that not a single ship would
be left unoccuDied during the coming
month and that steps would be taker
to meet the demands in this respect
both Of the admiralty and of the mer-
camille marine. He appealed to the
workers to labor with unremitting en-
ergy and to the nation to consent tC
the restriction of imports in order &
made easier the task of the admiralty
The arming of merchant ships, sait
Sir Edward, involved an enormou.
amount of work but was progressing
more rapidly each week. OF the armed
merchantmen attacked. he said. IS pei
| cent escaped the submarines. while th'
| urarmed ones "a per cent escaped
Sir Edward said there was not {
particle of truth in the allegation tha
| the government had forbidden the pub
lication of the losses of shipping ant
| that so far as he was concerned. h,
would not be a party TO a concealmen
of these losses.
| Winston Spencer Churchill forme
first lord of the admiralty. who followe,
| Sir Edward Carson as speaker, said:
The present submarine dangc
arose from new efforts and new de
vices adopted by the Germans sine
| August, 1914. Our sole anxiety arise
from the activity not of ships or tn
| German fleet which existed before tn
| beginning of the war. but from thos
| which have been constructed since
Continued on page two)
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