The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-05-04
WILSON AGREES
WITH BALFOUR
ON NU-BOATPLAN
Supplying Of Entente First
Step; Catching Subma-
rines the Second,
FRENCH FINISH WORK
Coming Eight Months Con.
sidered by All Real
Crisis of War.

WARRINGTON. May s.--President Will
son and Arthur James Baifour, the Brit
ish Foreign Secretary, have now reached
an agreement respecting the main fea-
lures Of the campaign which the United
States and the Entente Allies are TO
launch at once against the German
U-boat blockade. So far as the cooper
ative measures aimed at the Immediate
and pressing submarine menace u con-
cerned there Is no further necessity for
conferences between Mr. Balfour and
Secretary Lansing.
The French have concluded their la
bore and to-day started on a tour OF the
country. The British mission will re-
| main for . week or ten days. but their
iabors have progressed 80 far that the
| decks are cleared for definite acton.
This campaign. with its many raminca-
tions extending into the heart Of this
| nations commercial organisations. was
referred to indirecly yesterday by Sec
retary Lansing when he indicated that
| this Government and its allies were now
effective C-bost rava<es. The trend of
thought in official and diplomatic circles
! here has passed from consideration OF
the grave submarine menace to the means
to be employed against it.
Plan Three sided One.
In . general way the plan Of the
| United States and the Entente may be
divided into three principal phases.
These are:
The measures which it is vitality I'M
| portant to take at once-within the
next eight months-as a guarantee
| that Great Britain. France and Italy
are not prevented from getting food
and needed supplies before next win
| ter.
The measures to be taken Jointly
| with . view to breaking the back
bone Of the submarine blockade by
elimination OF tho C-boats from the
| infested waters.
Tho measures to be taken on an
elaborate and comprehensive scale TO
| insure the flow OF food and supplies
until the end OF the war, whether it
be Of two or ten years duration.
| The cooperative work concerning each
| Of these phases will necessarily interlap.
II is said. because the Entente nav!es
| will continue their efforts TO strike
! down the Cboats and the work in the
| United States and in Entente countries
will proceed along we'll organized lines
to strengthen and build up their plans,
| insuring ultimate success But the at
tention OF the Entente countries and the
United States is for the present being
centred more particularly on immediate
steps Of paramount Importance to meet
| the blockade crisis. Matters such as
| the early despatch OF troops to France
are under consideration, but IT is the
defeat of the submarine campaign upon
which all the energies of the Admins
tration are 20 be bent at once.
Decision in Eight Months.
II has been learned here that the Ger
mans themselves admit that the next
eight months of the war will decide
whether Germany can win or not. In
other words. Germany realizes her sub
! marines must bring her enemies to terms
| before next winter or not at all. There
is a general realization. even in Berlin,
| that the Entente must win II the war
goes on to a protracted struggle OF en-
durance. As one high official phrased
1t to-day: III We get by the next eight
months We are certain TO bring the Ger
man Government down"
The all important time Is therefore
the next eight months. Every one here
| realizes this. and no one seeks to dodge
the issue. President Wilson, Mr. Bal
four. NJ. Viviani, Secretary Lansing.
and leading army and navy officials
here are unanimous IN this view. The
most essential part OF this nations CO.
operative campaign is therefore being
directed toward measures which must
be of value in the immediate future.
Much OF the important and valuable
assistance which the United States will
give does not como within the some
what narrow confines of this problem.
The navy building programme, the
rushing to completion of torpedo boat
destroyers, the working out of inven-
tions and devices aimed at submarines
these and other phases Of preparedness
are all practically out Of consideration
as immediate measures. These are too
slow remedies to be counted In the pres
ent crisis.
Plan Has safe Margin.
Therefore the President and Mr.. Bal
four are going on the assumption that
the submarines for the next eight
months will continue to raid shipping
In about the same ratio which they are
following. or even more effectively. To
be on the safe side an even wider margin
of destruction Is conceded to the sub
now begun can still save the situation.
The immediate measures involved in
this campaign may be grouped thus:
Putting into the transportation ser
vice OF the Entente enough tonnage to
keep up the flow Of supplies regardless
OF ships sunk.
Construction OF wooden ships and
other light craft Of 1000 or 5000 tons
at the maximum rate Of speed.
Providing British shpyards with
much needed supplies Of steel. re-
Gardless OF cost and regardless of the
amount kept away by the U-boats.
Organising a system OF food produc-
. tion and food transportation In the
United states which will expedite at
an amazing rate tho inflow into En-
tente countries.
This latter plan win be a test Of
American resources and American organ
. ization which may be q deciding factor
in tho world struggle. 1t will involve
Americans from the farmers producing
the crops to the railroad companies
Transporting them. and to the shippers
relied upon to get q sufficient percentage
through the war zone to Entente ports.