Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-15
AMERICANS RIGHT IN
DEMAND FOR CONVOYS

AMERICANS RIGHT IN
DEMAND FOR CONVOYS
Their objections were overruled-
and the event has proved that tho
American naval men were right In
their advocacy of conveys. At first
II is hetraying no secret to say. the
effect OF the change was double edged
More merchantmen completed their
Journeys in safety, but also moro sub
marines were able to come ana go
embarrassed. The sinEinss of enemy
craft !ell off COR time. Those that
we're AT sea had a much easier life
OF it for Few weeks. unless Trey de-
libcrately looked for trouble by at
tacltinc a convoy. rs many OF item
unhcsitatinsly die. That was. how
ever, only 4 phase. rs il turned cut
The production Of new antisuhuarinc
craft i'll the allied shipyards was speed
cd UT, and At the same time more
and more American hotillas cam.
across TO European waters TO merge
Themselves into the allied fleets ana
to help TO shoulder The burden OF con-
voys. Ii WAS towards the end of June.
1917. that brief message referred
casually TO the arrival Of American
warshins off the French coast Ten
mcnths later an equally casual SCRAP
of information told European news.
paper readers that tho United States
fotillas operating Oft the French coast
were under the command Of Rcar-Ad.
miral Wilson. f..y: which pointed to
the certainty that the number OF ships
employed must he large. since roar
admiral docs not usually command u
couple OF dcstroycrs.
/ This reference To the coast Of Franc,
IS important. hccaise il leads us to
The consideration of the VIZ lie basic
I idea Of convoys There arc certain
parts of the 0ccar Shere al ocean.
horne traffic must ultimately converge.
and those parts are the approaches: 30
I ports and roadsteads. These are gen
orally called focal points. and IL Is
naturally in and around such points
that the commerce destroyer SOCKS :,
work. In and around such points. tn.
work of CONVOY is most Important.
I There are, broadly speaking. four
main focal points for Western Euro-
pean watrrs--the Straits Of Gibraltar
he Bay of Eiscay. the south coast Of
ireland and the north coast OF Ireland
The h;st is the convorgirc point for
traffic into and out of the Mcditcrran-
can. the second for the French Atlantic
ports, the third for the French and
British channel ports. and the fourth
for the West British ports.
THESE POINTS ARE
IMPORTANT TO ALLIES
Each Of these points has Its pIrticu-
lar Importance from tho standpoint of
the various allies. 1t is perhaps un-
desirable to specify the differences. bu;
a little thought Will show wha; they
are. The vital thing 10 notice is that
the allies interest as "A whole made
and make. il Imperative that all four
local points should nc equally we'll
guarded That supreme fact was quite
clear 10 those responsible for the use
made in the war OF the United states
naval forces, and without hesitation
they flung their units into the breach
whore most they were needed. strength
cning the other points as more and
more forces became available. 1t has
thus gradually come about that after
one British base had served for the
first notiilas under old Glory. later
developments have led to the use OF
many moro points. and american depot
RESUMPTION OF DAILY rXCEi'r
SUNDAY SERVICE YORK RIVER LINE
Effective june Goth. steamers of the
4 Nfr,s Will sail daily