The evening world., 1918-06-04

~ERTAINTY that German L boats are operating off the
American coast not O hundred miles from New York produces
no sort Of panic.
On the contrary the first feeling of Americans is one of grim
satisfaction that Germany is thus forced to belle her pretended conf
dence that the fighting strength of the United States must be felt II
Europe too late.
Every German U boat near American ports is proof that the
great oversee movement of American troops to France has astounded
and dismayed the German war chiefs.
American fighters at the front in such numbers and with such
speed were not in the German reckoning.
Attempts to sink American transports in the war zone have noto-
iiously failed to diminish the eastward flow of this Nations fighting
force. The German war lords have been driven TO n desperate stroke
n or near American waters in the hope Of showing that the dreaded
tide can be stemmed, as they SO confidently assured the German people
il would he stemmed.
For the Imperial German Government must regard any kind of
submarine campaign il IAN expect to keep up on this side OF the
Atlantic as a costly and dubious undertakng-mainly intended to-
demonstrate that nothing has been left undone to stop Americans
from getting to France and turning the balance.
In the meantime no one dreams that American naval forces will
cave transports and shipping at the mercy of Gcrmanys submersible
cruisers. Destroyers, submarine chasers, sea and air planes will
redouble their vigilance in Atlantic waters. Germany can have no
endless supply OF Transatlantic U boats capable Of remaining for long
periods thousands Of miles from their base. Rendezvous with mother
ships would be soon discovered in North Atlantic waters. Nor could
bases in Mexico remain long concealed. U boat mortality ~hereabouts
shoud be high.
Furthermore the British, French and American navies have not
tost their grip. The successful conveying Of American troopships
which has been one of the most notable achievements of allied war
ARE, is not going to break down merely because a few longrangc U
boats have made a raiding trip to American waters.
When-in the fall Of 1916, before the United States entered
the war-the U-53 crossed the Atlantic and sunk six merchant vessels
of Nantucket ~Lightship, the raid, instead of heralding a submarine
campaign in this part of the world, turned out to be only a daring
exploit.
German submarines seek bigger prey in American waters now
than they did in 1916. 1t was food and supplies they were after then
Now it is the fighting power Of the United States-ferried in ever
increasing volume across the Atlantic. But the U boat Job to-day
is correspondingy harder and more dangerous. The present raid of
his country's coasts may prove proportiOnaly no lOngerlived or pro-
ductve of results than the earlier one.
To make certain that whatever Germany's U boat plan, that plan
shall fail, the Nation will take prompt measures.
Meanwhile Americans and their Allies will be all the stronger in
spirit and resolve for their present great task in France because Ger
many has revealed the intensity Of her fear that America will soon
be casting decisive weight in the scales.
"a race between Hindenburg and Wilson" was Lloyd Georges
recent summary Of the situation.
The arrival of U boats in these waters is further indication how
menacing to Germans begins to seem Americas war pace.