Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-22
The U-ROat Situation.


The latest report on U-boat snkings adds grim
emphasis to the war tasks confronting the United
State Thirty-two British merchant ships, twenty
seven of which exceeded sixteen hundred tons, were
sunk during the last week. That is the heaviest to
since early in May. and is the heaviest yet record
ed with the exception of the week ended April Il
when ffty-fve vessels we're sent down. The pub
lie has no means >Vf reckoning just how serious
these losses are because the Admiralty's state
ments give no inkling of the actual amount oil
tonnage destroyed. 1t is no secret, however, that
the amount is enough to cause grave concern.
This does not mean that must accept the
extremely pessimistic view that England will be
reduced to helplessness within eight months un
less the U-boat is conquered or American ship
building marvelously accelerated and increased
On this point Alvin Johnson, writing in recent
number of the New Republic, calculates that
even if snkings continue at their present rate
for eight months more, the Allies will command
at the end of that period some seventeen and a
half million tons of shipping and that in pinch
they could get along on ten million tons. His
figures and reasoning are worthy of note:
Decidedly, the ocean shipping situation
has already reached an acute phase. But it
it is a long leap from an acute phase, evil
denced by the looping off of the less vital
services to the complete breakdown that
France must be fed and supplied with the
essential materials for equipment and NUM-
tions, so far as they draw those materials
from overseas.
Twenty million tons of foodstuffs would
insure them against starvation. Two mil
lion tons of cotton would answer, at pinch,
for clothing and explosives Add another
eight million tons for hides and leather,
nitrates, rubber, the finer metals, and what
ever other essential materials England and
France can not produce. Some thirty mil
lion tons of freight at a minimum must be
moved across the if the Allied is
not to be brought to the verge of collapse.
Double the figure, for safety's sake, and ten
million tons of shipping should still suffice
for the work. Much be done to increase
the efficiency of tonnage through unified
troll and systematic attention to the problem
of expediting loading and unloading, repairs,
etc. The Allies command 23,500,000 tons,
and even if sinkings continue at their present
rate, will command 1850, 900 at the end
of eight months. without acceleration of
construction In addition, the Allies will
continue to enjoy the services of some mil
lions of tons of neutral shipping. The Nor
wegians will defy the submarine now,
ard the other neutrals not likely to mod
ify their policy in the direction of greater
caution.
Nevertheless 100000 tons would be
near the danger point. large part of this
tonnage has to be set apart for the service of
the army and navy. 1t has been estimated,
without visible data, that about ten million
tons of British shipping are thus diverted
from overseas transportation. Probably the
war services still use tonnage rather Law
ishlt and could put up with less amount.
But at best the amount of shipping that could
be released for overseas transportation would
not be more than sufficient to afford a safe
margin in the supplying of the essentials of
life and warfare, IL sinkings continue I'M
abated for eight months"
This opinion seems we'll founded and we'll bal
anced The tonnage situation, though acute, il
not so dark and desperate as the pessimsts con
slider It, But it undoubtedly will become desper
ate unless the United States rises fully to the
responsibilities of the time, or unless by some
happy miracle of invention the submarine is elm
inated-a thing dreamed of but not expected. We
must be ready at the end of eight months IL
launch merchant ships faster than the U-boat:
can sink them, prepare to make a single
handed fight against German militarism, with the
possibility of the German navy being in the con
test.
Not only must build ships as rapidly and
numerously as our resources and energies allow
but also must speed up every other task
and problem of the war for all those tasks and
problems interlocked that can be deal
with effectively without dealing efficiently with
them all. The gravity of the tonnage situation
makes it the more imperative that We conserve the
supply of food and other recessaries and impera
tive, therefore. that the Food Control bills b,
pressed to speedy enactment. Congress as vel
as the country must wake up to the fact that W,
are in a war which involves the safety of our our
shores, our own homes, rights, our liberties
our very existence as a free and sovereign nation
All these are in the balance, and all will be los
unless Congress as we'll as the country rises to it,
duty.