New-York tribune., 1918-06-07
Assert. Charges Led to Be.
lief u. S. Couldn't De-
fend Own Shore
Germany Invited by
Boasts, Says Lodge
No Attacks Made on Navy
He Declares; 1t Has
Been Prepared

WASHINGTON, June 6.-Attacks on
me navy for permitting submarines to
,nk American ships off the Atlantic
coast precipitated sharp debate to-
dsy in the Senate.
Charges that senator's invited the
y.boat raids by making inaccurate
ststements as. to conditions in the
United States, were made by Senator
Lewis, of Illinois, in reply to news
,sver editorial read by Senator Bran
dsgee of Connecticut, which attacked
.he Navy Department for not warning
mariners of the presence of undersea
craft and asked as to the whereabouts
Of destroycrs and submarine chasers
the navy has been getting ready to re-
pei attacks.
The U-boat raids were not attempted,
Senator Lewis declared, until Germany
was advised by inaccurate information
that the American Government was
ahoneycombed with fraud" and "reek-
ing with pollution and corruption;" ="
that "the United States had no army
or navy" and that we had fallen down
in every undertaklHg.
"These charges" he said, "induced
Germany to believe that we could not
defend our own country"
Says Germany Was Invited
shores" Senator Lewis continued, "by
the false charges made against the ad-
minstration by those who sought to
benefit politically or by aspersion upon
their own country. That Germany will
find US ready is not to be gainsaid. That
We are not wholly and completely pre-
pared will not by any patriot be dis
puted. But Germany was invited by
the unjust assaults by those who would
asperse or tGneft politically'
Senator Nelson, of Minneso ota, Re-
publican, sharply interjected:
"Does the Senator think he can stop
the German submarines by making an
assault on the Republican party?''
Senator Lewis replied that he had
not mentioned the Republican, party
and that such q charge against that
organization would be untruthful. He
added, however, that many charges of
unpreparedness had come from indi-
viduals in public and official life as
well as in private life.
"The fact remains that the spirit is
too general" Senator Lewis concluded,
by which We accept accusations upon
any official who is powerless to reply
and the public believes from the ST.
lence in their truth"
Stimulated by Boosting
With apparent feeling, Senator
Lodge, of Massachusetts,, Republican,
said: Nothing has stimulated and in
vited Germany as the loose brags and
boasts about the number of troops we
are transporting to France. Germany
vas not invited here by attacks upon
me navy, because there have been
none. The navy and the Navy Depart
nent have taken every precaution. No
aoubt IN some newspaper Offices there
are men who might have done better.
The navy and the Navy Depart
mens', the Massachusetts Senator con-
unued, have necessarily anticipated a
submarine attack from the beginning
o. the war. They have had it con-
sanity IN mind. They have tried to
, axe every precaution to meet it. I
thlnk they have"
The navy's activities cannot be made
public, for patent reasons, Senator
Lodge said, declaring no one can tell
"aere submarine will strike.
AS soon as the navy had any au-
.aen'ic news indicating the presence of
1sa!Omarlnes,"' he added, "they acted.
iney nave the means to do it."
Clting the fight of the British navy
c or TOUR years against the submarines,
senator Lodge said that, with Ameri-
sSn assistance, "larger control" of
the submarine menace has been estab-
n nsned on what might be termed the
naval front"
Control Is Succeeding
mat control is succeeding" he said.
more than any of us dared to hope,
Is done by multiplication of ships
ana OF methods"
That the defence will be effective I
Isse Iau no question:" continued Senator
A. possibility of a submarine base in
sae western Hemisphere seems re-
~ sue, said Senator Lodge, pointing out
nTs as oiinculty of getting mother ship
~. OF Germany, and adding that "it
= - IN improbable that the Germans have
Oase on the United States or the
Ssnadian coasts" He also thought no
"se could be had in the West Indies
NJ: Is possible to have base on
ieslcan territory" he said, "but a
SHe there cannot be freely used. 1t
.oald be extremely difficult to get to
.ao to get away from in more than
month";
me precautions the navy has taken
Gs0ng the gulf coast cannot be revealed
sas e. Senator added
Everybody in the navy has done
sserything human foresight could sug-
syst, he concluded mot a transport
tSIylng our trops has been lost and
saas Is because of the navy convoy. The
aassy has remained largely sill, ,nt about
~ ~; work and that is one of the best
",ngs about it,"
discussion of the suoanarinc question
~ssed with Senator Lodges speech.