The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-05-01
THE SUBMARINES.

last week.
How many ships Of less than 1000
tons were sunk, or how great was
the total tonnage OF ships sunk was
not reported.
The figures given and the solemn
warning TO the people Of Great Bri-
tain which was issued by Lord Devon
port, the food controller, at the same
time, indicate that the submarine
campaign is by no means failure.
We violate no confidence when we
say that officials in the highest places
in Washington have no Illusions as
to the grave possibilities involved in
the increased activity and effective
ness of the German submarines.
The success of the allied cause.
which now is our cause as well, de-
ponds absolutely upon keeping Great
Britain, France, Italy and Russia sup
piled with food and the raw materials
for munitions.
1t is perfectly we'll recognized that
if the Germans have been able to sink
half million tons Of ships a month
during the bad weather conditions Of
the late, winter and early spring,
which they probably have done, it is
quite possible fol-. them TO- sink a mil,
lion, tf0QNNs month during the six
months Of good weather nov begin.
ming.
A million tons of ships month
was the figure set by the Germans
when they declared ruthless subma-
rine warfare against the world.
Because they did not achieve this
result atlonce it has been assumed
~ those not thoroughly posted on
the situation that. the German sub,
marine campaign was a failure.
ssNQthsng could be further from the
,truth: sssffsse fss 5@a :gs~~
:# UpGfto now the submarines have
been operating under the most ad
verse; weather conditions. a..
There is probably difference OF
between so and 100 per cent in the
effectiveness Of submarines in bad
weather and III good weather.
And the fact is that no way has yet
been found to fight the submarines
successfully.
Without doubt many German sub.
marines have been sunk or captured
during the past three months. The
probabilities are that the Germans
are increasing their submarine fleet
faster than the allies are decreasing
it.
If the Germans had thousand sub.
marines in commission when they
made their momentous decision to
add America to their enemies, they
probably have a great many more
than that number now.
: The best information obtainable Is
that they have standardized subma.
rine construction to the point where
they can turn them out with a ra-
pidity which would have been consid.
cred impossible before the war.
One story, not authenticated, but
very circumstantial, is that subma-
rine hulls are being launched from
German shipyards at the rate of 20
a week.
Many of these are said to be devot.
ed exclusively to minelayins.
There is not the slightest doubt
but all of the ocean lanes leading to
Great Britain, France and Italy are
being sown thick with deadly mines.
We Americans upon whom now de-
wolves the feeding of our European
allies and keeping them supplied with
raw materials which are WITH! to
them, could make no greater mistake
than to underestimate the enornity
and the dangers of our task.
Assuming that the Germans do not
suffer such disaster on the western
front this summer that they will be
forced to make peace at the allies
terms, it may very we'll happen that
by fall the fate Of the world will de-
pend upon how many cargo ships
we can send safely through the sub
marine and mined zones that sur
round Great Britain, France and Italy.
We must expect that a great many
ships which start for the ports of our
allies will be sunk either by torpe
does or mines.
We must be prepared to answer
the German submarine challenge
with more ships, and then more ships,
and yet more ships.
And we must be prepared with
enormous reserves of food and steel
and coal and trained sailors. rsE',Is -
~