The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-07

ing the last seven months proved so
efncacious that in spite of the in
creased number of ships passing
through the danger zone, there has
been steady reduction in the damage
done by the enemy submarines. In the
meantime we are sinking enemy sub
marines to an increasing extent.
But the Germans are building sub
marines faster than they have hitherto
done and they have not yet attained
their maximum strength. 1t appears to
me. therefore, that the submarine
warfare is becoming test in de-
termination and ingenuity between
the two contendihg forces.
For the present have come to
the conclusion that the submarine
warfare is going well for us. The ene-
my has done less damage than he
hoped and less than we estimated. He
has done it with serious and heavy
loss to himself"
The first lord said Il was interest
Ing to recall the position of the Ger
man mercantile marine, continuing:
AT the outbreak Of the war Ger
many possessed over 100000 tons Of
shipping. Today nearly half of it has
been sunk or is in the hands of our
selves or our allies. She has a so per
cent reduction to our II per cent.
1T Is we'll that the British public
had been tolc what they are up
against"
He pointed out that while Great
Britain has plenty Of coal for victory.
Italy and France has not, and it was
essential that there should be the
greatest economy in foods and all i'm
ports in order that the tonnage may
be diverted to the needs of the alli-
ance. He declared:
we must lay our plans for long
war. 1 see no signs of IL being n
short one, and all by their economy
can help the navies of the Allies de-
feat the submarine"
''The huge army OF the United
he said 'is preparing and has
20 be transported and maintained. The
French, italian and other allies re-
luire seaboard help. -"
1t has been asked whether Great
Britain was building merchant ton
mage at a sufficient rate to replace
the sinkings. The answer. he de-
clared, had been given negatively, but
II was unsound and inconclusive TO
take any. one factor of output as
against losses to be vital indica-
ton of Great Britin's situation.
Britain he said, now was equipped as
never dreamed of before.
May the country not be Justly cred
tied for the fact in 1917. with our
and munitions effort Mt the
maximum and when the call upon
man-power has reduced our available |
resources to a minimum" he con-
tlnued. I'VE shall have produced ma
val and mercantile tonnage eoual n
'he oest year ever recorded in our
history"
The speaker expressed confidenco
that the skilled workers would Stand
by the nation in carrying ont tho
great ship building program. I. s.
Sir Eric said the new national vard,
now being built would he ready in
SIX months, and continued:
The output of merchant TONNAGE
for the first nine months of 1917 l..
l23 per cent higher than in the cor.
responding period last year and CON |
siderably higher than the total outnut
Tor the whole OF 1915. Standard ves-
sells have been ordered represen,inr
nearly one million gross tons.
According to the first lord there ,re
now 235 large dry docks in the Brit
lsh Isles where merchantmen. can be
repaired He expressed a hope that
all these vessels would soon be ef-
fectively armed. and paid a tribute 10
the women employees i'm the docs
Yards. He then dealt with the criu-
cism against the admiralty.
Referring to the success of CON
'oy system, he said:
I'm September 90 per cent OF the
otal vessels sailing the Atlantic
rades were conveyed. and since the
convoy system started the total per
'entage OF loss per conveyed vessci
through the danger zone was one in
wo hundred.
81 wish To acknowledge fully the
sa.It III .t.tIs