SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 17

SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN.

Tho Admiralty supplies the following l figures of shipping for the week as relating to submarines, which compares with the previous week as shown: Dec. 2. Dec. 9. Arrivals for week 2174 2426 Sailings for week 2153 2384 Vessels over 1600 tons sunk 16 14 Vessels under 1600 tons sunk ... J 7 Unsuccessfully attacked ... 8 11 For the week ended tho Bth inst., th« French shipping arrivals totalled 845. and the sailings 957. On© steamer over 1600 tons was sunk, and none under 1600 tons.. Three vessels were unsuccessfully attacked. In the Italian official report regarding shipping tho week's arrivals are not specified j sailings, 369. The sinkings were; One over, one tinder 1500 tons damaged, beached one, unsuccessfully attacked two. Miss Eileen Roberts, an Australian, statea that while crossing, tho Atlantic in the steamer Tunisian the latter rammed and sank a Gorman submarine. The liner's bow was damaged, but she proceeded on her voyage. She carried 1400 passengers, half of whom were children. • There is indignation in Spain owing to a German submarine shelling the Spanish steamer Claudio 50 miles off Cape Finistorre, killing eight of the crew, injuring others, and seriously damaging the ship. The Spanish Government is protesting to Germany. An enemy submarine bombarded Funchal (the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira) for 20 minutes, firing 40 shells and causing casualties, destroying houses and a church. THE SHIPPING SHORTAGE. ANTI-SUBMARINE MEASURES. Sir Eric Geddes made a naval statement in the House of Commons. He said that 2,282,000 tons of shipping were launched in 1913. The actual tonnage of war vessels on a converted basis and of merchant vessels completed in 1917 equals the 1913 output. The merchant tonnage completed in October and November,- 1917, was fully equal to the 1913 rate,/while 'the output of all classes of shipping totalled 18 per cent.higher, and future plans provided for.- an increase. Our anti-submarine measures were still being developed, and were proving steadily more efficacious," but the enemy were still building submarines faster than we were sinking them: The enemy were also sinking ships faster than we were replacing them. Sir Eric Geddes stated that the wprk of ship repairing was a far more important question at the present time, because it took less time And material than building new vessels. Since June there were only three torpedoed ships in the Home watera the salvage of which had been abandoned, and 56 'ships were being repaired at the present moment. The Admiralty in June assumed the control of repairs. Apart from shipbuilding in 'the United Kingdom, further augmentations of the mercantile tonnage were being arranged throughout the allied world. Our output of war vessels was infinitely greater than before the war, and this was necessary, as it must be remembered, that armed merchantvessels were not an offensive weapon against submarines. A well-informed authority says that the systematic destruction of submarines has reached euch a stage 'that it nearly counterbalances the German submarine construction, indicating that as a menace the submarine ha 3 about reached its limit. Although no universal remedy exists for combating submarines, the various means utilised proved efficacious. The growing forces now at the Allies' disposal should in the near future not only hold the enemy in check, but repress them and render any expansion of the- campaign supremely difficulty. Notwithstanding this view, there are still strong reasons for the utmost economy in food consumption. There is a growing increase in new shipping going into commission, and within a few months enormous shipbuilding in var ous parts of tho world should begin to outweigh tho depreciations of the enemy. At the Peninsular and Oriental Company's meeting, Lord Indicate, chairman of directors, said he was convinced that the submarine campaign would not effect the purpose "which Germany had m view. Frightfulness had no effect on the morale, of the merchantmen, who wer" going to sea just as before the war. Cadrto and, apprentices were offering in exceca of anything known previously. . : In the House of Commons.. U. Chiozza-Money, Parliamentary Secretary for Shipping, stated that .to November 15 seven standard ships, of a total tonnage of 47 234, had been completed and started on a 'voyage, while a large number were m course of completion. Ono of tho new* ships had been sunk. The total net tonnage conmletcd in November was within measurable distance of the tonnage losses by enemy attacks.