Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-07
CAPITAL EXPECTED
TRANSPORT ATTACK
Secretary Baker Had Information
of German Plans on
Jan. 27.

II was announced at Washington on
Jan. % by Secretary of War Baker that
the War Department had information OF
German plans for carrying on more
intense submarine warfare against Arneri-
can transports In this official resume for
last week Secretary Baker said:
During the last fortnight enemy
submarines have been recalled to home
ports to be rettted, and the most power
full submarine offensive hitherto under
taken may be expected to be launched
against our lines OF communication with
France, to interrupt the steady flow OF
men and munitions for our own armies
and food supplies for the Allies.
During the period under review re-
newed activity along the entire western
front is noted. The region bordering the
North Sea has once again become the
scene of severe fighting
The belief that Germany was going TO
undertake more vigorous submarine
war against American transports was
widely held in Washington on informa-
ton which had been received from Eu-
rope A dispatch to The New York Times
from Washington on Jan. ~ said:
There are naval officers In Wash
jngton who would not be surprised TO
find Germany this spring ready to launch
new and more powerful attacks against
transatlantic routes.
HONOR FOR U-BoAT COMMA NDEH,
Unofficial information came from Am
stcrdam on Jan. that the German
Emperor has conferred the order Pour
le Merite on Commander kophamel on
his return from q cruise in large Ger
man submarine to the Cape Verde Is
lands.
On Jan. a German wireless statement
was received in London, saying that
! Germany had established a new and
broader submarine barred zone. II was
then announced that the original subma-
/ rine barred zone had been extended ia
| include the Cape Verde Islands, the
| Island Of Madeira, and part of French
! Senegal around Dakar. 1t was announced
/ that the new regulations would become
| effective Jan. H. Previously, in Novem-
| der, the barred zone had been extended 10
Make in tn Azores.
| The real significance OF these extcn-
/ sions was not developed t the time, but
/ the announcement of Kophamel's decora.
! ton is looked upon as having revealed
| something of the inner meaning of the
/ establishment of q zone so far from The
| German su marine bases. All these ex-
| tensions OF the submarine zone are or
| the principal steamship routes between
America and Italy, America and some
| French ports. Europe and South America
| Europe and Africa, and the United State:
and Africa
During his voyage kophamcl asserted
that he sank an American destroyel
! and fourteen merchantmen, most .oI
| them bound from the United States tol
/ Italv and France, 1t IS about 1000 miles
! from the Belgian coast to the Cape Verde
/ Islands and back. This Is believed tC
/ have been the submarine which sank th'
/ American destroyer Jacob Jones
! MAY RI WORK or CRUISER SUBMARINE
Simultaneously with the announce
ncnt that Commander Kophamel hat
been decorated word reached this coun
try from London that German submarine
warfare had gradually taken on a new
nhase since the beginning of wlnte
weather, and that submarines OF the SO
called cruiser type were doing most OF tn
sinkinrs, while the smaller submarine
i were confining their activity prlncIpall,
10 mine lavinV. These cruiser submarine
are described as carrying two So guns ant
+ sixteen torpedoes, and as beng able L
+ keep the seas for SIX weeks.
On Jan. l5 Secretary McAdoo an
nounced that because OF the extension
Of the war zone by the German govern
ment he had issued an order maxim:
mandatory the insurance OF masters
officers. and crews OF American mer'
chant vessels against loss of life anc
personal injury by the risks of war anc
, for compensation during detention by aI
enemy of the United States followln:
CAPTURE In the case OF vessels engage,
IN trade on these routes: From all porti
/ to the Cape Verde Islands and ports OF
the west coast of Africa, north of Sierra
Leone, and vice versa.
Secretary AIcAdoo 5 order became ct
| fective as TO vessels leaving American
ports on and after Feb. and as tC
vessels sailing from foreign port ol
and after Feb. Is. At the same tins
he announced that sailing vessels golnt
| to and from the same ares, their cargoes
! freights, and passage moneys would not b.
! insured by the Bureau or War Blsk Ia
! sIrancc. This ruling followed one pre-
/ violIslv made that such insurance ol
! account of sailing vessels through the SO
/ caIled war zone would not be granted b,
, the Bureau