Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-08
4 Year of PruSSian Piracy.


Noting that il just year ago this month
that Germany launched her campaign of submarine
ruthlessness the Albany Herald argues that the
essential objects of that murderous effort are as
far from attained today at the beginning of last
February. There is no denying that the pirates
have made themselves felt and have shown Prus-
sian barbarity at its blacklist As the Herald sum
marizes it. Hundreds of thousands of tons of
shipping have been sunk thousands Of lives have
been lost; women and children have not escaped,
nor have hospital ships on which those wounded
in battle were homeward bound been spared; life
boats in which passengers and crew from torpedoed
vessels sought safety have been shelled by subma-
rine guns and men taken from sinking ships and
placed on the decks of U-boats have been left
struggling helplessy in the water when the vessels
on which they thought they we're being carried to
safety suddenly submerged Loving cruelties and
horrors as they do, the Hohenzollerns doubtless
draw keen satisfaction from this record. But, after
all, has It paid?
The most striking result of U-5oat ruthless
ness with its defiance of law and its challenge to
civilization the entrance of the United States
into the This was the outstanding event of
the year 1917 Russia's breakdown and fiasco,
heavily unfortunate though 1t to the Allies
and cheering to the Teutons, does not compare in
ultimate importance with Americas coming into
the field. Germany expected, in compensation for
having made new and powerful enemy, to mairn
and demoralize ocean shipping to such an extent
that the Entente countries would be virtually iso
lated. Her particular objective was to starve out
England; and the Kaiser promised that it should
be done within six months at the outermost, If not
in three. Twelve months find the threat long,
long way from its goal. While the food problem
in England, France and Italy is admittedly seri-
ous and would prove eventually disastrous If
American aid should fan short, the lines of COM
munication between those countries and the out
side world are still freely open. A distressing
amount OF Allied tonnage, it is true, has been de-
stroyed, but not enough to give the Huns a
able hope Of breaking up their enemies com
merce-
During the hast sfx months, indeed, the U-boats
have fallen so far short of their earlier record of
sinkings that British shipyards have been able to
launch virtually as much tonnage destroyed
Furthermore, during the ten months the United
States has been in the war. our Government has
requisitioned four hundred and twentysix vessels,
aggregating upwards of two million tons, which
were building in American ship yards, has taken
over some four hundred vessels of more than
twenty-five hundred tons each, which already
afloat, and has placed contracts for eight hun
dred and eighty additional vessels, on many of
which work is speedily progressing The Shipping
Board sees a prospect of securing six million tons
Of new shipping In the of the present year.
This is one of Americas answers to the sub
marine threat, and rather a formidable answer it
is. What the new undersea offensive expected
from the Germans win accomplish only the event
of course show. The Allies look for final
and desperate effort to cut the transport lines
which the United States depends in getting troops
food and other basic supplies the Atlantic.
But as far as the first year of submarine ruth
Iessness is concerned, the results by have
balanced the cost; indeed, they have brought
Prussianism nearer to defeat than to victory. AS
for the future, we have the assurance of vgilant
navy and an ever-ncreasing power of ship pro-
duction.