The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-01
mines had been made in the waters
leading to the harbor entrance.
French Naval Effort

leading to the harbor entrance.
French Naval Effort
The discovery of the capture has
only just been made by representa-.
tive party Of British journalists, who
are on tour of exploration Of
French ports and bases at the invita-
ton of the French Gvernment. The
latter are anxious that the British
public should be fully convinced that
their French Allies not only in the
military sense, but the naval sense
as we'll, are in this war with both
feet" as the saying now goes here,
and which in ordinary British naval
parlance means doing their damed-
est" in the common cause to the full
est extent Of their resources.
And, also, with those great re-
sources strained to the uttermost. It
was in order that we might have am
pie evidence with which to convey
that assurance to the British public
that we have been received by the
naval authorities, have been con-
Quoted round the various establish
ments ashore and afloat, and been
told and shown everythinb-at least
everything that we need know and
mucl also that the public need not.
Throbbing With Life
We found - very much alive
10 call it a hive of industry would
be absurd. A hive is dreamy drone
suitable to sunny noon. This port
is a high power motor-car throbbing
with barely restrained energy. tt is
not only hustle and hustle of sup,
erilclal character either. Things are
done AS a naval port it has still
only subsidiary part to play, be-
cause situated in spot where great
thlngs can only be accomplished in
small way. Hers not the role of
base for battle fleets, admirably as
nature has cast her for the part But
she is well placed for offensive and
offensive war upon U-boat war and
for the protection of commerce in
Trench coastal waters, and other
waters a ia larger distance.
Fighting U.Boats
The submarine menace is a pro-
CreSsive one; progressive in charac.
Ter though by no means so in results
So here there are series of schools
to study its characteristics, to devise
and experiment with the means for
the suppression of the menace and
for the extinction of the submarines
The French navy supplies guns to its
mercantile marine and men to use
them.
And when these men come back
periodically they spend some time in
the schools in harbour and make
themselves familiar with all the lat.
est methods and appliances for the
assaults Of an unscrupu-
lous foe. We had an opportunity of
some of the new vessels
devised and constructed during re-
cent months with good sea-going ca
pacity for patrol work, with speed
enough for chasing and armed for
distance attack, and of course with
depth charges for destructive pur.
poses.
The Listening School
Depth charges are, of course, dead
ly in their effect. But to effectively
use them it is necessary to be close
10 the submarine, and that is not al
ways possible. We were shown also
the listening" school, where men are
taught how the presence of a U.
boat travelling under water can be
detected and its position located.
Collisions in fog between steamships
should in future be practically elimi.
mated as the result of these develnn.