Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-18
SUBMARINE WARFARE
CARRIED BY GERMANY
TO AMERICAN SHORES
Continued from First rase.l

liere this statement. however. and
moves TO meet aggressive steps were
at once taken The probability of sub
marine attacks OH unprotected scaboard
cities and towns. raids on shipping
within sight Of American shores. and
submarine blockade of the principal
Atlantic ports to tcrrorize shipping and
people were expected
Last week word came to Washing
ton that Germany was about to declare
prohibited submarine zone about the
harbors at Boston. New York. tho Della
ware caDes. Chesapeake Bay, Charles
ton and Savannah-virtually all the
important ports on the Atlantic sea
board
Some American officials were disin-
clined to credit the report. but entente
diplomats here predicted that Germany
would soon carry the submarine cam
paien TO this side of the Atlantic prin-
cipally to scare neutral shipping away
from American harbors and to raid the
great merchant fleets moving food and
supplies 10 Americas allies.
Some officials think that the lack
Of declaration Of prohibited zone i'm
American waters may be due TO the
crippled condition OF communications
with Germany. Without such IL deciar-
alton they assert. Germany will incur
great claims of damages 10 ncutrals and
viii carry on new campaign without
the color OF legal authority which she
contends tho declaration of barred
zone lends TO it.
RIMOU OF ATLANTIC BASES
Is REVIVED BY ATTACK
ri
to the doors of America. the possibility
that German U-boats may have bases
on this side OF the Atlantic Is revived.
The raid of the U-53 and the Deutsch-
I lands two trips demonstrated that
German submarines could escape the
British naval cordons and reach Amer
lea. Whether n submcrsible could make
such trip and return without getting
supplies on this side of the Atlantic Is
( graveiy doubted. Many officials here
always have believed that the t--53 had
mother ship. The possibility that
merchant submarines of tho Dcutsch-
! land type. now converted to carriers OF
fuel oil and supplies might accompany
| ;iotillas OF the war boats on their
! transatlantic raids, is recognized as
/ being ever present The possibility OF
! bases having been planted by the Ger
! man raiders recently at large in tho
! South Atlantic is ono OF the foremost
/ The possibility of q German submarine
! base in the Gulf OF Mexico has long
been recognized. and many officials have
! been convinced that when tho raiding
began the raiders would come from that
/ quarter.
There also have been many reports
OF secret German bases on the rock
! and inaccessible coasts OF Maine and
! Northern Canada, but since there has
been no evidence of the use OF such
bases. 1t is considered unlikely that
even IL they exist they can now be
brought into use in Cicrmany's warfare
against the United States.
| Naval officers recognize the danger OF
! submarine operations off American
coasts. hut arc confident OF the navy's
ability 10 deal with them.
Expert opinion is that some ship
ping is bound TO be lost if the raidins
! is extensive, but that submarines
| operating 1000 miles away from home
have most OF the disadvantages TO con.
tend with.