American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-06-07
NAVY TO KEEP ROAD
OPEN TO TRANSPORTS

of Men and Munitions to France,
Daniels Says; Ample Protection at
Hand.
Whatever the purpose of the sub
marine raid off the Atlantic coast. and |
whatever number of submarines here |
after may come to American waters, /
there will be no check on the flow of /
men and munitions to France, Secre- |
tary Daniels said Wednesday.
"The great duty of our navy" said |
he, 'is to keep open the door to
France; to carry our men and muni-
tions to the great battlefront and to
guard food supplies for our co-bellig-
erents. That has been accomplished
thus far, and we will continue to keep
the road open"
Naval officials are proceeding on
the theory that many submarines may
be off the coast or may be expected to
arrive, although they have nothing to
indicate that more than two have been
operating. When American destroyers
and other small craft were sent abroad
for work in the war zone, it was fully
realized that submarine raids on the
American waters we're entirely possi-
Bile; and the entire coastal patrol
service has been built up on that
assumption.
Viewed from a purely American
standpoint, officials believed the dis
patch of the swift naval craft to
foreign waters was unwarranted, but
American troops could not be sent to
France with any degree of security
and the United States could not take
it's fair share of the burden of war
unless they went. That was the con-
sideration that impelled the govern
ment to cast prudence aside and to
rush the ships abroad.
Without question it was felt the key
to the shipping situatiOn-the neck of
the bottle-was abroad, where ships
must converge. That neck must be
kept open at any hazard, and the navy
has kept it open. Not an outward
bound troop ship under American
convoy has been successfully assailed.
? Meanwhile it has been realized that
} the length of the American coast line
and the limited number Of swift
a destroyers that could be retained at
/ home made it possible for raiders tc
E strike at coastwise traffic or even al
I the transports.
|
k this piece of naval preparation and has
felt that months of drill and practlce
It cruising without a single attack might
= make the patrol forces stale. Recently
e he visited Atlantic coast defense dis
e tricts. His inspection had hardly beer
y completed when the raiders arrived
g Already il has been shown, Officials
say. that precautions taken to guar'
l. departing troops and munitiOn vessels
i have proved adequate. Efforts q
a furnish additional protection to coast
i wise shipping are now being made. II
= some cases fleets of coasters may b.
assembled. to be passed along unde
q convoy from one district TO the next
IS Undoubtedly guns and gunners will b.
.e furnished in many cases. Every skip
* per who wants them will be provide
le with weapons with which to hit back
rs Naval officials believe the tanke
al Herbert l.. Pratt. sunk off the Della
a ware capes, but later raised and towe
d to port. struck a mine left by tn
U-boats.
m In seeking the motive for the raj
It officials can reach no other concluslo
2 than that the Berlin authorize
III planned to extend their general theor
Is of terrorization to these waters, hoI
ne ing to create a panic which woul
force withdrawal of submarine cha'
a ers abroad or the suspension of troo
70 movements.
IN 1t was pointed out that, should it b
b. the purpose of the German admirali
so to attempt to blockade American pori
a and send many submarines, the pre-
to sure abroad would be released an
". ships from their positions could moN
with increased freedom. On the oth'
is hand, the great extent of the America
,e- coast line, the connection being porl
he by means of canals and sounds, al
ed many other conditions would tend
nd make impossible a successful blocka
re- ing operation.
or
Sc Mrs. ]. F. LittoOy of Boise will
ae hare June Is to give a Whedtle