Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-04-26
2O5 SUBMARINES
SUNK BY ALLIES
Rear Admiral Sims Tells the Tale
AT New York
Luncheon.
NOW AT BOTTOM OF SEA.
German Menace Destroyed by Van.
kee Ingenuity, British Pluck and
Team Work az the Al.
lied Fleets.

New York. How German submarine
warfare was finally stopped was de-
scribed In detail by Rear Admiral VIII
liam s. Sims, L. $. ~. IN an address
at n luncheon given 10y tn. Bond Club
here
According Ia the computation Of ;he
fleet commander. there are now lying
al the bottom Of the sea 20l German
submarines. II recognize that tine re-
ceptlOn you have accorded me Is not
due to me personally. but TO the posi-
tion ! occupy and t. the resolute activ.
iiy Of the navy abroad" lie said. "A
navy cannot he rapidly improvised
When war Is declared II is too late
Ia build NOR" ships or Ia provide per
sonnet You have been through pc.
riod az great danger and you applaud
not the man at the top. hut the navy
itself.
when you shoot submarine YOU
usually get three or four men who hap
for they usually shut the lid as the
submarine goes Town aud bubbles
come To the surface il II circle. We
found many submarines stuck on the
bottom. with Indications showing that
many of the men caught inside ~ her
either COMMITTEE! suicide or killed ench
other. Altogether ! may say that there
are 2Oi German submarines at the bot
tom OF The sea.
THE band OF water across the Eng.
fish channel between Soapstonc anG
Boulogne, across which millions OF
tons Of supplies and hundreds Of thou
sands OF men were carried during the
war. was 50 well pairoled by destroy
ers that not one life was lost IL was
suicide for u German Submarine To ap
proach that busy lane. Most of the
desiroyers had To be kept with the
grand fleet for fear that the German
fleet might come out. and This reduced
the number available for transport
duty. We were always short of de
StroycrS. which kept those on CONVOY
duty constantly an the jump. But the
spirit of the destroyer people never
let up. ms sometimes feared IL would
nor did they ever let NJ once an III,
work demanded
''ln April. 1917 the situation was
mos serious. In fact, am free Il
confess that We were frightened. II
WAS only the absolute cooperation III
all the naval forces -American Brit
ish. French and ltalian-ihat saved
the situation. When we crossed The
Atlantic all questions of national pride
aud personal ambition had To be sup
pressed When our fleet was com.
hined with the British fleet, so much
more powerful than ours In all re
spects. ! said Ia Admiral Rodman
See how quickly You can make ouI
ships British ships And this was
done All Of our own meihods were
put below and stayed there until the
war was over We were successful
In the war only because our submarine
craft were able To turn down the sub.
marine menace and because the Ger.
man fleet was compelled To remain In
port. And this success was possible
because the grand fleet WAS there. re.
enforced by the American fleet.
III. during the early German drive,
the Germans had rcpched Paris and
Paris had surrendered. the war would
not have been over, for the Germans
would never have had a ship on The
seas. The naval forces would have
maintained the hlncka'ie. and the Hun
would eventually have been forced Ia
give back all he had Won and 10 sur.
render In the end. as he actually did