Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-02
OUR DAILY NAVAL victory
silent and Irresistible Power" OF CiviliIs.
tons Fleets Marks UnHsgging
Prnnress Tnward Snccess

TNHE late Claude Debussy, philosopher
as we'll as composer, was fond Of
observing that while the world seemed
ever eager to appraise trifles, notably in
art, it was comparatively Indifferent to
a great miracle of daily occurrence. He
alluded to the sunset.
No one, he maintained, had ever
brought his two palms together and
physically applauded that prodigy. The
very persistence of the wonder had
dulled the senses, so quick to respond to
the occasional achievement whether of
man or nature.
The application of this reasoning to
the greatest and most unremitting mira
Gle of the war is obvious. Daily since
Admiral Won Specs feet was annihilated
off the Falkands the silent and ire
sistible power" of the Allied battle
sauadrons has been developing. The Jut-
land engagement left the situation essen
TALLY unaltered.
The U-boat warfare sought and still
seeks to overturn it, but the failure of
that predatory campaign is now in sight.
Sea control is in the hands of the Allies
and America. The magnitude and en-
durance of this victory and the un
exploited methods of its prosecution
have actually served at times to dull our
appreciation of its meaning. We have
been accepting the achievement as we do
the sunset.
Moreover, it is characteristic of hu-
man frailty that, while we said virtually
nothing at all while civilization on the
sea was winning its daily victory, we
have been by no means silent before any
indications that the unparalleled per-
formance was being placed in jeopardy.
The campaign beneath the oceans sur
face, not the still more wondrous one
upon it, has been our common topic.
Perhaps this is why Admiral Sims was
constrained to make his statement con-
cerning sea power so long and compre-
hensve, so specific. so soundly informa-
tive.
This significant report which the
American admiral has just given out in
London may be regarded as condensed
compendium of naval communiques. The
field general wires new story in each
bulletin. In its broadest sense the tone
of daily reports from sea commanders
would be invariable. The victory which
this unprecedented sea power spells
would be chronicled today and repeated
tomorrow.
1t is possible however, after consid-
cradle lapses of time, to summarize in
the large aspects what this superb dis
U-boat piracy bears to it and what are
the prospects of reducing to impotence
Germany's sole instrument of naval war
fare. Admiral Sims has embraced this
opportunity. Adhering strictly to facts,
he has at the same time dispelled many
illusions.
The seas do not swarm with subma
rines." Experience, declares this au-
thoritative officer, "has shown that the
Germans have been able to keep only
about 10 per cent of their U-boat fleet
in action on the average. Until recently
this meant that anywhere from fifteen
to twenty submarines were actually at
work in the Atlantic, the North Sea and
the English Channel. In the last few
months these figures have been greatly
reduced" The U-boat raid off our
coasts he characterizes as weak naval
strategy and Every Improbable" proving
his point by citing the repeated triumphs
of the transport service.
The extent of the submarine menace in
it's earlier stages is ascribed to the in
ability of civilized human beings to in
terpret the psychology of fends. AS the
rational peoples of the world simply
could not credit the possibility of bru-
tality being carried to the point where
unarmed merchantmen, passenger and
hospital ships would be sunk without
warning, it necessarily took some time to
build up the proper defense.
The depth bomb, the listening device,
the convoy system and the fast destroy
ers are now our answers to the chal-
lenge. Upon our increase of these arms
depends the suppression of U-boat ac-
tvity. And, of course, until that goal is
reached the effect of their operations can
be vastly reduced by continuing, as we
now are, to build ocean carriers-the
submarines chief prey-faster than they
can be sunk.
That so much of the report was de-
voted to the U-boats is unquestionably
due to the Admiral's desire to correct
misconceptions with respect to inflated
estimates of their numbers, with respect
to their ability-now virtually nil-to