Arizona republican., 1918-02-03
Overcoming the Submarines


 The statement of Sir Eric Geddes, first lord of the admiralty, summarizing the results of the first year of unrestricted Uboat warfare, is rather call upon America to speed up shipbuilding well as to inn press upon Britain the need of greater activity in that direction. Sir Eric trumphanty points to the fact that the German program to bring England to it's knees in six months has not been carried out In making that program Germany somewhat over estimated it's ability to sink 100000 tons of shipping d month and also greatly overestimated the effect of such performance upon England. How many tons of shipping have been destroyed is not known The British admiralty has published the lost tonnage of British merchant vessels. But whatever that many be- to it should be added the tonnage of other allied or neutral destroyed. That probe ably would fall far short of 900 tons month But England has not been brought to it's knees. and shows no signs of kneeing though certainly it is suffering most strain
 The latest previous statement by Sir Eric issued about weeks ago. and in which he believed the U-boat warfare being slowly but steadily overcome. A greater number of submarines were being sunk and greater tonnage of merchant ship ping was being built Yet he said the Germans sinking tonnage faster than it being replaced and they were also building submarines faster than they were losing them.
 Replying to the British figures that the number of sinkinss of merchant vessels had diminished the Ger mans said that that because there were not so many left to sink. That reply is scoffed at in Sir Fries latest statement when he that the saiings from and entries to British ports are as great as ever. Yet have noticed of late what seems to be a significant omission in the weekly admiralty re- ports of any statement of such arrivals and de- partures This statement until month two ago was a part of every weekly report of submarine losses
 " boN-a 1Oub that he sub will ultimately be suppressed when the number of American desroyers and seapanes have been greatly increased as they will be in the present year, and we think that activity in their construction and in shipbuildng would be greatly spurred if the British admiralty would let the world know in detail just how the battle against the submarines is going.
 It is not entirely encouraging to us to have appeal presented when know that something has been kept back The "curves" upon which Sir Eric relies and the generates in which he indulges far less than satisfying
 America will not be scared out of the war by being told the exact truth and neither will the bulldog spirit of the British people be tanned by knowledge of what is going on behind the veil If there anything to conceal from the Germans there would be some sense in concealment, but there is They know how many submarines are lost and how many vessels to the ton, they destroy. The English and American people entitled to this in formation and their confidence would be increased and their spirits would be aroused if they were given it.
 The whole world is eXerting itself to combat the efforts of Germany to sweep mercantile fleets from the seas the fleets of neurals as well as the allies. But the whole world wants to know the extent of the task before it. It does want to bunder along either in the dark rosy uncertain light. It can do better in the clear white light of the whole truth. It cares less about being told in general, evasive terms that the submarines being come than about being told just what it must do to overcome them.
 If Sir Eric would abandon his famous "curves' which he professes give him much comfort, and come down to definite, understandable figures it would be better all around. This is not of paper and diagrams but of performances.