The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-06-07
THE WAR COMES TO OUR OWN
WATERS.

Inc OnlCeQ OLdLeS lids pSeh az
war with Germany nearly fourteen
months. 1t is not surprising, quite
the contrary, that the war has at
last been brought to our home wa
tiers.
The raid of the U-53 off Nam
tucket on Oct. 7, 1916, two years
ago less four months, demonstrated
that it was practicable for the Ger
mans to make a dash to this side of
the Atlantic, run amuck among
merchant ships off the American
coast, and return to their bases at
Zeebrugge or Ostend. 1t may be as
sumed that since that time the Ger
mans have built submarines design
ed to keep the seas for a consider
able period, armed with guns Of
larger icalibre than the U-53 carried,
and with many more torpedoes than
could be slowed on her.
In September last Copenhagen re-
ported that Germany was fitting out
U-boats of 1900 tons and $40 feet
long, with hull space for "forty tor
'pedoes and a large number Of
"shells and Mines" Moreover, she
was building submersibles, larger
than the Deutschland, which could
carry oil and be used as tender or
mother ships. The Spaniards, who
may claim a more intimate acquain-
lance with visiting German subma-
rines than other neutrals, have even
declared that "the latest large Ger
imam undersea boats are 50 well
"~equipped that they are able to go
"around the world without having
Ito ~replenish the fuel supply for
"their motors" This strains Gre
dulity, but there is reason to believe,
that in order to operate on the
American Atlantic Coast it is not
necessary for the enemy to have al
base in the West Indies or on the
Spanish Main. Sir John Jellicoe was
quoted about a year ago as saying
that the Germans could not under
take a submarine campaign In our
waters without establishing such a
base. Probably he would no longer
adhere to that view. A British nau-,
teal periodical recently heard Of a,
f1otilla of six German submarine
cruisers of $500 tons displacement,
which were to carry six-inch guns
and to have the protection Of an
armored coming tower. These
dreadnought U-boats were to be,
ready for business early this Spring.
Whatever the size, capacity, and
cruising radius of the enemy's inn
proved submarines may be, two OF
them are now in our waters, and it
is for the naval patrol, which Sec
rotary Daniels declares to be ade-
quate, to run them down. 1t will,
of course, have the assistance OF all
the hydroaefoplanes that can be
mustered for reconnaissance and
bombing.
There seems to be method in the
preliminary attacks Of the U-boats
upon trading schooners and mer-,
chant steamers found in the lanes
of travel. The object apparently is
to seal up the port Of New York and
check the transportation of troops,
to France and England. The CAL
culation is that even a temporary
stoppage Of Decentralization on the
other side may count in the German
offensive on the western front. The
troops must sail, however, when
the navy has perfected its system
Of scouting for the enemy's subma-II
rines. A not unexpected condition
confronts the American Govern
ment, and the work of dispatching
troops across the Atlantic must still
90 on. The U-boats have come over
to block or interfere with the trans
p~ortation of reinforcements, inciden-
tally to sink merchant ships. Con-
voys must be made stronger. Inc
navy has been preparing for the
emergency and is already hunting