Hunting Hun Submarines.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15731, 26 October 1916, Page 6

Hunting Hun Submarines.

To-day we are enabled to publish the first of a most thrilling series of articles by Alfred Noyes, in which, so far as is consistent with military prudenco, ho reveals the measures taken by the British Navy, with the help of the auxiliary fleet; to cope with the German submarino "campaign of frightful"ness." There is no doubt that tho "under-sea boats," at the beginning of the war, constituted tho greatest menace to our continued mastery of the

6ea. Even before the war some of our most distinguished naval experts realised this danger, and Admiral Sir Percy Scott, it will be remembered, went so far as to declaro that Dreadnoughts were doomed ancl their day was past. It was the most anxious problem which tho Navy had to face on the outbreak of war, and there were no precedents to guide them in devising tho necessary precautions. It was obvious that unless tho German submarines could be checkmated, it would not only be. impossible for us to keep up tho necessary stream of reinforcements across the Channel, but that if the Germans, in defiance of international law, chose 1 to sink merchant ships on sight, there was con- | siderable danger of the British people being starved for want of the oversea supplies of food on which they 60 largely depend. I

It is not necessary now to say how trl mpliantly the Navy rose to the oicasion. Tho Germans proved brutally and callously regardless not only of international law, but of the elementary principles of humanity, and have succeeded in sinking a largo number of unarmed merchant ships, neutral as well as British. But tho Navy not only kcivt inviolate tho cross-Channel passage for our troopships, but they havo so systematically hunted down and killed off the German pirates as to place a very considerable cheek on tho campaign of frightfulness against merchant ships. To the Royul Navy is due tho chief credit for the resourcefulness. the courage and tho enterprise which havo brought about this magnificent result. But tho men of tho Royal Navy would be the first to testify that they could never havo achieved success had it not been for the auxiliary fleet of trawlers, drifters, motor-boats, and fast merchant ships converted into patrol boats, manned by fishermen, and men of tho mercantile marine. There aro a hundred thousand of those men now engaged in this work, and Mr Noyes gives us an account of their endurance, pluck, and heroism which cannot but set the pulses bounding of the most lethargic readers. Wo do not think it is generally realised that it is to provide comforts for these men that Lady Beatty has issued licr earnest appeal. It is entirely outside tho work of the Navy League, to which our readers have so generously contributed, and we venture to hope that the reading of Mr Noyce's articles will have the effect of considerablv stimulating the flow of subscriptions to the fund which we have opened to further Lady Beatty's good work. We shall not

be able to keep it open much longer,

as we are anxious that whatever money is subscribed shall reach Lady Beatty by Christmas, or at the latest by the New Year. It is then, in the bitterness of thowinter weather in the North Sea, that such help will b e most needed and most gratefully appreciated.