The Washington times., 1917-10-17
u. S. METHODSARE
SLOWLY HOLDING
U-DOATS AT BAY


CONTINUED from First PsEsJ
dead weight made when America en-
tered the war.
Reduction In losses Is due chiefly to
the excellent convoy system by which
scores Of cargo ships are taken sim
ultansously through the danger zone
by q Gordon OF American destroyers
The German submarines have tried TO
penetrate 1t in vain. Delays In or.
EanizIng such units, due TO the neees-
ssry wait for all. ships 10 be loaded.
are more than compensated for oy
the saving in tonnage.
Beats Exeeea Crews. y
Germany has built submarines
faster than men can be trained for
crews. Difficulties are being encoun-
tered in manning the submarines.
Also JIermAny's torpedoes are not as
effective as they used to be because
of a lack Of good material
Although further reduction In tne
loss of tonnage is expected, the sep
teniber aglifes, IL maintained through
out the year, would mean total 'ioss
OF 4, 10000 tons dead weight lie
meet these losses and to satisfy tne
extra demands Tor ships TO carry men
,or the new factories and plants be-
ing built behind the American lines
| in France, the Emergency Fleet Cor
poraeon is letting contracts daily
Million Tons by March.
/chairmsn Edward n. Hurley OF the
United states Shipping Board. ex-
poets to have on the seas one million
tons Of brand new shfppingI laden
with cargo and enroute to Europe oy
! March. LIST next.
This WIN include ships originally
intended for British. French and Nor.
vegIan. owuers but contracted Tor In
American shfpyardS and now taken
over BY the United States, as well as
shipS contracted foF by the Gotehals-
| l,cnInan hGtS:b. .stratiolt
The American shipping program
calls for at least 5000. 600 tons dead
weight Of shipping for the calendar
year of 1917 to 1918, which would
| ovsr-balancs the German sinkings IL
! Immediately avallGbie. but such
/ total tonnage cannot possibly be
ready for another twelve months.
AnerIea's Problem.
Amsrica's prohIsm- therefore is TO
meet the losses in the German cam
pAign OF the ensuing year and to sup
ply extra tonnage for troops and COM
missary. The immensely Of the task
Is understood only when IT IL realised
that rs 900 tons Of shipping daily are
required to sustain an army OF 100000
men.
Can the United States do It? Of
neiais have every confidence that they
can, but this means communicating,
requisitioning, speeding up every bit
Of tonnage that is built or building.
Consider, therefore, that there IL
lying idle in American ports today
about 10000 tons OF neutral tonnage,
Of which 339, 900 belongs TO Dutch
companies. But these vessels cannot
sail because thsy will not be given
bunker coal or export licenses. They
are losing money for their owners
every day they stay In port. They
can be useful 70 the United States
and the allies, but the Netherlands
government would be guilty Of un-
neutrality IL she permitted the seiz-
ure OF these ships without violent
protest, at least.
Presidest HaIts at Issue.
President Wilson has been dIsin
clined to raise an issue with Holland.
The United States is trying to get
along without this tonnage, but many
observers think the Dutch owners
would be gratifed TO have the vessels
requisitioned on the Initiative OF the
United States.
Whatever is done, hogry+,, vcly
probably viii re by general asrcs-
ment among the. entsntS HllIgs. The
problem Is far from ssiI'p Pres.
Nh.a
seizure Of these neutral vessels any
day. Swedish and spsnish I1nnags
could not be taken over on account
of treaty stipulations, but Dutch.
Norwegian and Danish ships are not
in the same status. II seized the
United States and the other govern
ments would charter the vessels from
the owners or indemnify. the Dutch
companies.
How much tonnage the War Depart
ment needs to transport the national
guard and the national army 10 a
closely kept secret as IL the number
of ships required TO keep Americas
army in France well supplied with
food and munitions. ReQuisitioninG Of
the Dutch vessels would undoubtedly
help the situation very much.
The Basis for Runners.
Rumors that q serious shortage in
tonnage prevails have been current
for the last ten days. This Is partly
due to tho French plea for ships, not
men. France has transferred her
shipyard force to munitions factories,
depending for new tonnage on the
United States.
Herbert Hoover wants more ships
to carry food TO the allies Yet II