SEA SUPREMACY.

Evening Star, Issue 17327, 15 April 1920, Page 10

SEA SUPREMACY.

f IS THE BATTLESHIP OBSOLETE? SOME STARTLING PACTS. ; In conversation with an engineer scientist and inventor who played an important part in the war, the New ■ York correspondent of the ‘Daily New s ’ learned some facts of startling significance for Britain. “The war,” said he, “was won on land. At sea the submarine had proved itself potentially supreme. In the last week of hostilities the German:, who had concentrated on tankers, san k nine. If Germany bad had 1,000 U boats in August, 1914, nothing could have saved Britain and the Allies. As it was, she had only some 36 IT boats at first, and usually only eight or nine were in use at one time. On tne average, each U boat sunk cost the Allies £20,000,000 at least in loss and expenditure, a total of £4,000,000,000. Yet the cost of the U boat is comparatively r.egligible. “ Civilisation cannot stand such casualty. In years to conus, submarines will have a wider range of activity. When small thev will be also hydroplanes, nearly able, to fly. When largu their improved engines will enable them to remain submerged for indefinite periods. Whatever headway was made against submarines was largely because they had to rise to the surface. If this necessity is reduced, the submarine will become to that extent more formidable. “In four and a-half years of intensive effort with, at the last, 600 destroyers, besides other naval units, and 6,000 patrol and searching vessels, only 205 submarines wore sunk or captrcred.”

“]■ am bound, therefore, to tell you that, as invention now stands, the submarine has the hsst of it. Bui j ding big battleships,” he declared with emphasis, “is now sheer

waste of money. Ten years after the fight between the. and the Merrimac navies were constructing obsolete wooden ships. So will it be with the Dreadnoughts until the taxpayer steps in. Remember that submarines can be cheaply built on inland waterways like the Volga, far from observation.”

“ This seems to modify’ Admiral Mahan’s theory' of sea power?” “ Yes, it changes it entirely. No great* r.rmy can be maintained across the ocean against a fleet of submarines. Against attack Australia and New Zealand can,make themselves absolutely secure, .given enough submarines. The United States is noV a distinct and impregnable military unit. And so is the Old World. If war breaks out there again it will be fought on land behind a ring fence."

“ Will Britain he able to keep open her trade routes?”

“I am very doubtful of it. It seems to me that, obviously, she should build her Channel tunnel without delay, and establish, as a matter of imperative precaution, a store of at least one year's food supply. Many will, of course, put up a big fight for the retention of battleships. No crew like taking service on a submarine. But. in my judgment, the United States and Britain should face the facts and save their money. The future is serious enough without the waste of resources on useless varieties of armaments.”