SUBMARINE MENACE

Nelson Evening Mail, 17 November 1916, Page 5

SUBMARINE MENACE

COMPENSATION "FOR,LOST ' 'SHIPPING. - * • * DEMAND BY LORD (Australian and- N.ss. Gable-Association.) LONDON, Nov. 15. In the House o'f Lord's, Lord Sydenham, asked' the Government to mdke a ■ definite declaration of'policy on behalf of the Allies'with regard to the rriorlsfcrous proceedings of the German, =>uorna-" rines. Ther-e 'was an uneasy teeling ! in the country that the submarine menace was more? 'serious than the authorities admitted. He would like the'Govern'm'en to make a- declaration that they would exact ton for ton. 'They should also" give" greater freedom- to the. fl6et.' " ■ Loi'id Beresford paid the" Foreign Office had "en'tii'elV taken' oyer the naval policy and handicapped' the'" Navy's work. We had a,bandoned the policy of attack and , substituted t that of defence. The mercantile* marine' was in great' danger, and''food and matei'ial •supplies were in peril. The ~ s Board of Admiralty must be strengthened Jby the -introduction' of new blood. Younger, men fresh from the sea were needed. ' - Lord 'Crewe said'it was useless to.s&y that we would- exact' this or that -reparation unless w T e were able to impose teftns 'of peace by obtaining a conynlp-te' victorv. The only voice which could speak .with authority now was that of the Vannoir 1 on the Allied fronts. The misdeeds of-' the submarines' were, only" n. small part of the'Germaiv crimes... was the 'sinking:-of "the Lusitania> the murder of Nurse'Cavell and' of, .Captain' FrvaSt,' and the Belgian' and Polish atro-" cities. Before anything coxlld "fe done we must "win a. complete victory.^.-'The Government; wore-making the necessary preparations' to arm tlio'mercantile^. "marine. The Admiralty'had been singularly successful in the destruction of submarines; but the -difficulties" "of deali'ngwith them had increased:*- '