The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-25

49, the German submarine campaign
bod failed. The prospect that faced
tho Allied forces at that time, when
oomuared with the conditions which
bod faced them in April, 1917, forms
ora of the most impressive contrasts
- history In the first part of the
earlier wear the cause of the Allied
powers and consequently the cause of
liberty throughout the world, had
roached the point almost of despera-
tior On both land and sea the Ger
mans seemed to hold the future in
tbair hands. In Europe the armies of
tho Central Powers were everywhere.
in +he ascendant The French and
Rritish were holding their own in
France and in the Somme campaign
thew had apparently inflicted great
damage upon the German forces, yet
the disintegration of the Russian
army. the unmistakable signs of which
had already appeared, was bringing
nearer the day when they would have
IN meet the undivided strength of their
enemy At the time in question, Ru-
mania, Serbia, and Montenegro We're
conquered countries. Italy seemed
unable to make any progress against
the Austrians, Bulgaria and Turkey
had become practically German prov
inces, and the dream of a great Ger
manic western empire was rapidly
approaching realization. So strong
was Germany in a military sense, so
little did she apprehend that the
United States could ever assemble her
resources and her men in time to
make them a decisive element in the
struggle, that the German war lords,
in their effort to bring European
conflict to a quick conclusion, did not
hesitate to take the step which was
destined to make our country their
enemy.
Germans Were Confident.
Probably no nation ever adopted a
war measure with more confidence in
its success. The results which the
Germa nsubmarines could accomplish
seemed at that time to be simply a
matter of mathematical calculation.
The Germans figured that they could
sink at least 100000 tons a month,
completely cut off Great Britain's
supplies of food and war materials,
and thus end the war by October or
November 1918. Even though the
United States should declare war,
what could an unprepared nation like
our own accomplish in such a brief
period Millions of troops we might
indeed raise, but We could not train
them in three or four months, and,
even though we could perform such a
miracle it was ridiculous to suppose
that we could transport them to
Europe through he submarine danger
zone
have already shown that the Ger
mans were not alone in. thus predict
ing the course of events. In the
month of April. 1917, L had found the
British officials just about as dis
TeSsed as the Germans were jubilant.
Already the latter, in sinking mer-
chant ships, had had successes which
almost equalled their own predictions;
y no adequate means of defence against
The submarine had been devised; and
The chiefs of the British Navy made
10 attempts to disguise their appre-
tension for the future.
naval Situation Completely Reversed.
such was the atmosphere of gloom
which prevailed in Allied councils in
april 1917; yet one year later the
naval situation had completely
hanged. The reasons for that change
nave been set forth in the preceding
pages In that brief twelve months
ne relative position of the submarine
lau undergone a marked transforma-
Hon' Instead of being usually the
puFSuer it was now often the pursued.
instead of sailing jauntily upon theI
ush seas, sinking helpless merchant
of Will
"edrtedly lying in wait along the
s soS'S' seeking its victims in the YES
wis OF dispersed conveys. If it at
",p'ea TO push out to sea and at
~,N convoy, escorting destroyers
s 1e likely to deliver one of their
@SSe'ous attacks; if it sought the
a r,ro" coastal waters, a fleet of
asuiS' sloops, and subchasers, were
o1S'antIy ready to assail it with
1V"S OF depth charges. An attempt
UoSs the Strait of Shaver meaut Ell
~0S' inevitable destri1et6ea Nv Ftff,ee
~ attempt to escape INTO tins ocean
nor VIE northern passage involved the j
sHehlary dread of 4 similar end 81
gs. hazard of passing through ths
0It Pentland Firth. IN most 81
, narrow passages Allied subma- |
hal LAY constantly in wait with
,s' torpedoes a great fleet of air |
@S and dirigibles was always cir
nn,l ABOVE ready to rain shower of !,
,as oS upon the underwater foe. AL |
Bly, the ocean floor about the
nrI .S" Isles held not far from 200
ra "eN submarines, with most of their
amounting to at least 1000 !,
4e whose deaths involved perhaps |
Far o0s lrasedies OF the |
mtb as was this situation, it was
scos compared with what it would |
tnon;e d lew months or year hence. /
Qrni ',ean and British shipyards were
III out anti -submarine craft |
Ina. ereat rapidity; the industries of |
'a with their enormous output /
nj 'ee.' had been enlisted in the
ma uofnarine campaign. The
Rti,iDe and British shipbuilding ia
- We're neutralizing the Ger