The Washington herald., 1917-04-17
Victory Predicted for u. S.
In Running U-Boat Gantlet
Subs Will Play Losing Game Against Proposed
Wooden Merchant Fleet, Quickly Built to
Overwhelming Numbers and Diff
cult to Destroy

hard to hit as a patrol boat or de-
stroyer
The loss Of one Of these ships out OF
ten, or even out OF seven, is inconse-
quential, They can under any conceiv-
able posture Of circumstances be built
much faster than they can be destroyed.
A German submarine that makes three
hits out of the fifteen torpedoes that II
can carry on single trip from its home
base, is doing remarkably well Most Of
them average much less. Very few subs
make hits now without first emerging
and halting Its victim by shell fire. This,
Of course, is impossible when the intended
victim Is armed: and all of the new
ships will be armed as q matter of
course.
The U-boat not only win ind It harder
to hit one OF the new ships, because Of
the smallness of the target but II win
find that the value Of the cargo de-
stroyed by a single torpedo hardly ex-
ceeds In value the cost of the weapon
that sunk 1t. The modern torpedo is
expensive; one OF them costs as much
as a high-power automobile.
On the most favorable calculation the
submarines viii be playing a losing
game against these ships. Scores of
them might be lost without interrupt
ing the even dow OF supplies to the al
lies And, of course. scores will not be
lost: the percentage OF loss will be less
than prevails among British and neutral
shipping at present and the U-boats
have had no phenomenal success at any
time since February.
There IL no immediate need for these
new ships. Britain has little to fear
from the U-boat at present But the
constant wearing down of shipping ton
mage continued over q period OF months
and perhaps years should the war con-
tinue. will tell in time. for big. substan-
tial ships cannot be built overnight, even
in England. and Britain needs all her
shipyards and equipments for the up
keep Of her navy. She can take no
chances with that fleet of hers. Nor
has she the lumber to carry out the
scheme that the United States Is about
to undertake.
And in this country we VIII not have to
they can be continued building warships
and larger merchant vessels. The wooden
ships can be built at almost any large in
dustrial plant, after a period of remodel
ing and conversion.
II will take until October to get ready.
In the meantime Samuel Gompers will
assemble the 10000 laborers needed for
the start Of the work. The numbering in
terest will ask only a reasonable profit.
and cooperation from the outset is as
sured.
There are more than 100 private plants
already listed at which the orders Of the
Shipping Board will receive priority.
Last, but not least, Gen. George W.
Goethals, builder OF the Panama Canal
Is to be in charge. and confidence may be
swI.k ~ NAaN
will deliver the goods"
Perhaps by the time these little ships
are ready the war WIFI be over. Perhaps
the submarine will have come q crop
per- and shown itself a complete failure
by that time, so that German faith in II
Will be destroyed.
But the United States can afford to take
no chances. As Lloyd George truly said.
what the entente requires Is ships,
ships. and then more ships" That is our
arst duty in the war.