Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-28
BAKER PREDICTS
NEW U-b0AT DRIVE
Believes it Will be Aimed at Our
Ships as Part of General
Offensive.
WARRINGTON, JAN. 2S.

Sosr..arv Baker has authorized the
..s..r,cnt of the belief OF American mil
,ary officials that Germany Is planning a
,s,,ycrful submarine thrust at American
};nss of communication with France.
Tho Secretary emphasizes his belief
,hat the predicted submarine campaign
will be part and parcel of the threatened
German land offensive against American,
British and French military land forces
in the west of Europe, and that the pur-
r,os,, Of the new submarine offensive will
be 10 cut off the steady flow Of American
troors to France, as well rs the shipment
of munitions and supplies for our forces
IN Europe.
Secretary Baker gave no additional
"details regarding the source Of the iufor-
nation ON which he based the statement
that "the most powerful submarine Of
fcnsivc hitherto undertaken may be ex-
rec,cd." but pointed out that during the
last two weeks Germans submarines had
been recalled to home ports to be refittcd.
His prediction of German sea attack
on the long lines of American communica-
lion is expected to attract wide attention.
CREDITED ny NAVAL OFFICERS.
He does not stand alone in the belief
that Germany is contemplating a sea
offensive. mere are ulNHf oIfCfIS III
Washington who would not be surprised
to find Germany this spring ready 70
launch new and more powerful attacks
against transatlantic routes. On Jsnu-
nry 7 unofficial information came from
Amsterdam that the German emperor
has conferred the order Pour In Meritc
on Commander kophamel on his return
from a cruise in large German subma.
rine To the Cape Verde Islands.
During this voyage kophameI asserted
that be sank an American destroyer and
IL merchantmen, most OF them bound
from the United States for Italy and
France.
II is about 5000 miles from the Belgian
coast 10 the Cape Verde Islands and back.
These islands are of the coast of Africa,
some distance south Of the entrance TO
the Strait Of Gibraltar This is believed
70 have been the submarine which sank
the American DESTROYER Jacob Jones.
From all that naval officials have been
able 20 learn il is their belief that this
submarine was one OF the larger sub
marines which Germany IS known to
have been building.
simultaneously with the announcement
that Commander kophanncl had been
decorated word reached this country
from London that German submarine
warfare had gradually taken on q new
phase. since thc beginning of winter
weath ! and that submarines Of the So-
called cruiser type were doing most Of
the sinkings, while the smaller sub
marines were conhning their activity
principally to mine laying. These cruiser
submarines are described as carrying two
50 guns and Is torpedoes, and as being
able to keep the seas for six weeks. Since
the first super submarine Of the U-53
type visited American waters before this
country entered the war the Germans are
credited with having built number OF
the same type. 1t has been asserted tina,
one of the real reasons for sending the
U-s3 and the Deutschland to American
water. was TO test new ideas for inoorpora-
tion in the newer and larger German sub
marines, and make trial oiers tions OF the
experimental vessels in the colder waters
of the Banks of Newfoundland.