The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-04-25
LISBON SECURE
AGAINST ENEMY
ATTACK BY SEA
German U Boats Stand
Away From Block kfuz-
zles Of Portuguese
Gums.

OuQSs
Lisbon. Portugal, April 25.-The
harbor Of Lisbon has taken on q dis
ttnctly naval aspect since Portugal
entered the ranks OF the Entente Al
lies. Off Commercial Square, which
corresponds with the Battery in New
York, two long lines Of destroyers
have been Drawn up clear across the
broad entrance OF the Tagus. The
long black hulls Of the destroyers ars
so close together that at half tide they
swing at anchor broadside toward the
sea, almost touchins, and. presenting
a double line Of batteries pointing Off
at the German submarines darling
along the coast.
But Lisbon feels secure against an
enemy attack by sea, for besides the
double line Of destroyers, ready for
defense or quick sortie, there are
cruisers and gunboats with steam up,
and back Of them the big land forti-
fications on both banks OF the Tagus,
rising on high terraces and presenting
a serni-circle OF massive stone fronts
topped with lines OF heavy guns. And
besides these land and sea defenses,
there is the feeling that the British
fleet IL not far off and presents a
pretty solid barrier against the Ger
man fleet bottled UP in the Kiel can
al.
When the British naval commission
visited here "a short time ago still an
other naval defense was devised and
has since been put into execution.
This Is heavy steel net extending
<,IA ~ 1es~
Lisbon to the sea This can be low
cred at stated intervals for the pas
sage OF commercial traffic. But when
in position It 10 not only q bar to
submarines. but any which venture
near it are likely to be caught and
held in its meshes.
There are two German submarines
which appear to be keeping a pretty
constant vigil Of the nearby coast.
How they are provisioned and equip
ped Is a mystery. They have not done
much damage to large merchant
ships. but give their special attention
to the smaller craft and the fishing
fleets. It has practically put an end
to the coasting trade, and good
share Of the trade OF Oporto has been
stopped. The shipping to England
and France Is also greatly curtailed.
This IS adding to England's food dam
ger, for much Of her fruits and vege-
tables and ncst Of her wine was
drawn from Portugal.
Portugal is feeling the pinch also.
In being cut off from a supply Of
coal from the Cardiff coal mines, and
in having its supplies Of fish cut off.
Coal has gone up to $s7 and $40 a
ton, and is so scarce it cannot be OBJ
tanned at any price. The normal
price is about 81 a ton. Besides the
arrangement Of domesticI heating and
cooking, and the misery caused to the
poor the lack of coal is proving a
serious menace to factories, railroads,
tramways and the heating and light
ing Of public places hotels and thea
tres. The government has sought to
remedy the situation by reducing the
lights in the streets. extinguishing
all fighting at an early hour, and adj
vancing the legal time by one hour
so that people will get up earlier and
live more in the daylight,
With a long seacoast Portugal has
always had such an abundance Of
\ fish an to feel proof against any lack
of meat and other foods. But with
the submarines stopping fishing, the
normal supply oil fish has suddenly
been stopped. and the price has doub-
led and trebled, until the poor are
unable to get the, usual supply Of fish
on which they depended. -Four fish
ing boats were sunk within the last
week, one fisherman being KILLED and
three injured.
The war IL making itself felt In
many other ways. Most OF the young
men have been called into military
service, as the small peace footing Of
the army has now been increased to
war footing OF several hundred
thousand men, including about 10000
sent to the western fighting front, as
many more to Portuguese East ART
ca, and "a large reserve for home de-
Tense and recruiting the forces at the
front. The strets o.. the cities and
towns are now crowded with soldiers,
and at the railway stations one sees
long lines Of freight cars loaded with
light field guns and military equip
naent.
In the agricultural sections, also,
the war ish showing itself in the alb
sence of men and the increased num-
Der Of women doing the farm work.
In a.ride Of a thousand miles through
the farm country, with the spring
pioughing and planting at its height,
not man was seen in the fields, but
scorer of women were in the fur
roughs following the plough and do
ing the other heavy work. This is
not unusual In Portugal, but was has
made It universal n
n