The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-06-09
CAMPAIGN
DISMAL FAILURE
SAYS ARMY EXPERT

"Germany's first campaign OF
frightfulness against the United
States has been a dismal failure"
said an army officer who has just re-
turned from the western front. This
officer was In Paris when the seventy
five-mile gun first went into action,
and he came through the submarine
zone while the submarine raiders
were of the Atlantic coast the 1rst
week Of their best operations.
The submarine raids on America
have come to stay" continued the Of
ficer. "but they will have no more
military effect than have the aerial
raids on Great Britain and the long
range commandments OF French PEG.
pie at their prayers. All the navy Of
ticers and anyone who has been
watching the development OF the sub
marine had been awaiting the appear
ance OF submarine raiders on this
coast for months. II was simply a
matter Of development. Either the
submarines must be built with a
cruising radius OF 10000 miles. some
base must be established close to the
Atlantic seaboard, or mother ships
must accompany them. II was
bound to como. Which Of the three
is the secret, We do not know. but it
- probably the development OF the
long grange submarine.
"AeeompIIshed Little"
"But what have they accomplished:
Sank a few tankers. took one mer-
chant ship. and possibly may have
sunk the Cyclops with all on board
Granting that, It would mean that
Germany has been able TO destroy
one cargo OF manganese and few
lives in three months effort and with
certain losses and waste Of men. ma
teriaI, and money. The parallel
with the air raids on cities and the
seventy-five-miIe gun Is exactly the
same. 1t took the long-range gun
two days OF constant, incessant bonn
bardment to destroy twenty people.
with little Of the terrible moral ef-
feet that might at first be supposed
tn accompany II. Those shells
dropped into Paris at almost regular
intervals, but they were like light
ming bolts out OF the clear sky They
gave no more warning than II the
victims had been stricken with heart
disease perhaps fifteen seconds.
They, or course. were a military fail
ure. So far as affecting the morale
Of the French people. they only made
France more determined than ever. II
such a thing were possible. Two
years Of air raids on Britain have de-
stroyed less than two thousand lives.
Another rank military failure.
Air raids on our coast are not At
all impossible or improbable. We
hear that the Germans have a sub
marine airplane to launch from tho
vessel: that II, Of course, possible and
probable: but what can it accom-
pIish? II would take submarine At
least an hour IN get an airplanc out
Of her hold and assemble IL on the
water. aud they would have to have
clear weather. The airman would he
able to make a flight and possibly
dron few bombs: hut his chance Of
returning TO his vessel would he
small. Certainly he would not be
able to do it in the daytime. with the
destroyers and patrol moving up and
down. His chances at night would be
one in ten million. The airplane, Of
course, would be lost. The submarine
would stand about one chance out Of
nifty in lying on The coast long enough
for assembling the plane and then
waiting for the airrhan to return.
Cannot Enter Port.
The submarine undoubtedly will
come from time to time. but they can
not enter a port. for reasons very well
known. Their frst appearance has
been a military failure, but a most |
excellent thing in molding the deter !
mination of the people of this country |
10 carry to the successful end the war |
against a cowardly, dastardly en-
peror who believes in warfare on |
women and children
The per capita weekly consumption
Of potatoes In Germany Is 10 quartst
In AuEtrin-HunEaTy, quaFtsg while