Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-23
Defeat the Subm arIne
And Defeat Germ any.
II the United States can thwart the U-boat cam-

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1.I-1 IL VIA crush GeTmanys last hope of escaping
defeat I'VE stake all" said Chancellor Won beCh-
mann-HoIlweg upon the adoption of unrestricted
subnarine warfare ''and we shall be victorious
The Germans at last realize that nothing likely TO
occur on land can save them from their deepening
predicament as long England is mistaken at sea-
They may hold the enemy at bay for year or TWO
years and perhaps win striking successes mere ana
there: but while the British navy keeps its grip
Germany will continue to weaken and eventually
will collapse Hence the desperate determination
with which U-boat ruthlessness was launched.
And we shall be victorious" says the Imperial
CbanceIIor II is this faith in the Uboats potency,
this rooted hope that England be starved into
submission that sustains the German spirit amid
hardships and discouragements which otherwise
would be insufferable. IL, then, the United states
can keep England together with France well pro-
visioned in spite the submarine menace If 1t can
add ships to its own and the Allies merchant marine
faster than Germany can destroy them this will be
a decisive influence toward ending the war and to-
ward ending Prussian militarism
England herself, of course is combating the
submarine campaign vigorously and as yet there
are no indications that attempted blockade viii
succeed 1t is by no means inconceivable however
II the Uboat toll Of Allied and neutral shipping IN
tinued for three at its average Tor CD
ruary or March, that England might be reduced 70
serious or even desperate straits and that the war
would end most unfortunately for the future inter
ests of America and the world. Our nation there
fore has urgent reason-even aside from the state
of virtual war existing between 1t and Germany
to do everything in its power to break down the
U-boat campaign.
To this end, divers instrumentalities and meth
DDS doubtless will be employed. The first step is
the arming Of our merchant ships, which already Is
well under way. The U-boat seldom if ever attacks
vessels and It is exceedingly careful in attack
ing armed merchantmen. The Government will not
rest content however, with this defensive measure
In due time, aggressive tactics against the U-boat
will be adopted. Substantial results expected
from the light swift submarine chasers' now I'M
der construction; and it is not improbable that the
navy has secret devices plans that will prove
highly efectual
Unless however, the ends sooner than now
is expected the broadcast service the United Sta;ss
render in the effort to defeat the U-boat will be
to keep plenty of cargo ships plying between our
ports and those of England and France This calls
for ship building larger scale and by swifter
methods than ever have known. 1t calls for the
building Of new type Of freighter, which
VIII have a great deal less bulk but great deal
more speed than the present type and which can be
turnec out with something of the prodigious
and swiftness that marks automobile industries.
Just such type Of vessel proposed at a re-
cent joint session Of the Aero Motor Boat and Auto
mobile clubs of America. This plan contemplates
a large feet of comparatively small boats equipped
with motors powerful enough to drive them across
the Atlantic and requiring little in the way of
crew, boats which would make up in numbers what
they lacked individually in cargo ROOM which would
battle the U-boat both by their speed and their in
conspicuousness and which could be replaced more
rapidly than the greatest Of submarine fleets could
destroy them. Whatever the model plan
pIoyed production of freighters for transatlantic
service by scores and hundreds will be of the
most effectual means by which fight the
U-boat campaign.
This of course is but one of many lines of &C
ton on which the United States will proceed in the
war which Germany has thrust upon us. 1t is
hardly to be doubted that all the units of the navy
which can be spared from home defense will soon
be in action against the Hohenzollern pirates. All
the economic resources which can be made to count
against the Prussian monarchy and for the Allied
democracies will be mustered into use; and should
the war be longer than now seems likely, great
American military expedition doubtless would be
sent to Europe. Having been forced into the
fict by Germany's ruthlessness and barbarism, we
should strike with every efectual weapon and with
every sinew of the nations strength. But it must
be remembered that Germany's most vulnerable
spot as far as the United States is concerned is her
U-boat campaign By defeating the purpose of that
campaign we shall wrest from Germany her hope OF
undermining British sea power, her last hope of
escaping the full penalty of her outrages upon civ
ilization.
The Strike Settlement.