New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-08
U.S.Must Organize in ; Months
To Save the Allies from Defeat
Armies VIII Feel Need of Food and Ammunition After
That Period-Thoroughy PatrolIed Ocean
Lane for Commerce Suggested
BY FRED Il. PITNEl

one Of which has been almost com
pletely successful.
The principal zones are the Atlantic
coasts Of England the southwestern
coast Of Europe France, Spain ana
Portugal and the Mediterranean. Inc
subsidiary zones are the North sea- the
Channel. the Eastern Mediterranean
of the Dardauelles and the American
coast. The home ports OF the SUP
marines blockading the North sea
England and the Channel are the Ger
man North Sea ports. The home port
foi the Mediterranean. the Dardaneiies
and the southwestern coast OF Europe
is Pola. The American blockade car
ried on from both Germany and Pola.
The North Sea blockade is almost en-
tiIely successful. There are very lew
submarine losses in the North Sea at
present That is because merchant
traffic in the North Sea has almost en-
tircly ceased.
Both the English and French coasts
of the Channel are strewn with wreck
age. The English and French admiral
ties can prove that there has been no
loss OF life in the Channel, but there
is no getting away from those long
lines of wrecks which represent mill
ions i'm merchandise vitality necessary
to the conduct of the war.
Every ship coming with grain from
the Far East to England must needs
pass through four zones OF blockade,
the Dardaneles. the Mediterranean.
the southwest coast Of Europe and the
English coast.
Losses 10 Per Cent Month
The losses to shipping from subma-
iine warfare average from to 10 per
cent a month. Twelve months more
and there will be no shipping left worth
mentioning.
OF three armed merchant ships that
meet submarines two get by
This means that the German suoma-
rines are the masters of the seas TO-
day.
So it remains for America to meet
these conditions, to organize her pro
duction, to organize overseas trans
port. to solve the submarine problem
and to bring victory And she has three
months only in which to work.
The only practical way to combat
submarines yet found is with small yes
sells Capital ships are no good for the
work Against a submarine the capltal
ship is the more vulnerable OF the two.
IN the present war the capital SHIPS
OF both sides remain in harbor, while
the work is done by the submarines on
the German side and the mosquito fleet
OIL the Allies side. To give you one
figure only: England has $50 private
yachts modified for patrol work The
owners of the yachts are modified IN
the Naval Reserve and command their
own vessels. In many cases they have
done very valuable work.
PatrOlled Ocean Lane Urged
But what has to be done is 20 estab-
lsh a thoroughly patrolled shipping
Transatlantic lane, a lane that viii be "a
safe as the Boston Post Road and that
will be patrolled from one end to the
other 1t will not do to patrol the
American coast and the European coast
and leave a thousand mile gan ~ the
middle. The lane must be patrolled
from end to end.
When that lane is established there
mast be a continuous line Of transports,
carrying munitions and food supplies
from America 70 England and France
The two things have got TO be done
al the same time the transatlantic
lane established and the transport SER
vice organized and when the transport
service is ready. munitions and food
supplies must be waiting on the docks
in America.
The three elements Of the problem
for America are munitions and food
supplies transports, submarines. She
has three months to solve the problem.