THE SUBMARINES

Grey River Argus, Volume 10, 10 July 1917, Page 4

THE SUBMARINES

THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN

THE WORK OF THE FRENCH

:NAVY,

PARIS, May 2C

Bear- Admiral Lacaze, the Minister ot" Marine, replying to interp-illatiora, outlined the means of defence against the undersea boats in the Chamber- of Deputies to-day. "I see no reason why I should not speak of these methods in public," said Admiral Lacaze. "It would be childish to think they are unknown to tne enemy. They consist of a system of patrol boats, of arming mcrchant.nen with guns and fitting them with wireless ; of seaplanes, nets, mines, sii:oke-raising devices; and drag-nets.

"I sought to get patrol boats built here and buy them abroad. 1 scoured the world over with, missions, c'ovcrisg the ground from America to North Cape, from the Cape of Good Hope to Japan, but England had been beforehand. When 1 entered the Ministry I found 2A3 patrols. Now we have 562." (A Socialist voice : "It is formidable.")

ADDING TO U-BOAT PATROL. "1 do not say it is formidable," continued the Minister, "ncr even.sufficient, and -I have drawn up a scheme which will increase the figure to 900. I continue to buy in London, the world's centre for shipping. I am obliged to do so because our shipyards had been almost completely abandoned; because, as a result of that short-war theory which weighed so regrettably upon all decisions taken at the outset ! ot the war, the yards had been transj formed into war material factories to meet the pressing need of the national defence. We have now got back most of the arsenals and a number of priivate yards, together with skilled workmen.

"The guns we mount on the patrol boats have been referred to aivlainfully, but you cannot put 10-centime-tre guns on a small vessel. A patrol boat armed with 95-millimetre guns met two submarines armed with 105---.millimetre guns, sank one and put the other to flight. "We have 1200 drag-nets, as well as 170,500 curtain nets, and 5000 20---fcet float nets, which indicate the prseuce of submarines. We have special bombs for submarines and atus to throw them. . SEA-PLANE POSTS ORGANISED. "We have seaplane posts all around the coasts, so that the zone of action of each post joins that of its neighbour on either side. By October all merchantmen and patrollers will be fitted with wireless, and all merchantmen suplied with guns of as heavy calibre as possible, for which measures programmes have been drawn up even beyond what, was thought possible. ■ '• . -

"For building the plates and fram es required, M. Louch'eur (United-Se-cretary for munitions in charge of the manufacturing sections) has started up again all the rolling mills. They will be abl^ to supply us with tho plates I asked for, and we hope that the. merchant marine will also be able to obtain the quantity of plates to which it is entitled."