The Sun FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1917. SUBMARINES' SMALL TOLL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 960, 9 March 1917, Page 6

The Sun FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1917. SUBMARINES' SMALL TOLL.

Shortly after the unrestricted submarine campaign was begun, and feather-headed German politicians and editors were boasjting that England would be brought to bay in six months' time, a note of warning was sounded by a few men competent to speak on the subject. These hinted very broadly to their brother optimists and the people of the Fatherland that. acute disappointment awaited those who imagined that the policy of "frightfulness" would produce miraculous results. The figures published by the Press Bureau relating to losses for the week show unmistakably that the cautious minority in Germany had sized up the possibilities of the submarine offensive more accurately than their illbalanced fellows. The number of vessels of all sizes, including fishing craft, sunk by the U-boats during the week referred to totalled 20. If the fishing craft are excluded more than one-third of the ships attacked by the submarines made good their escape. The arrivals for the period given numbered 2528, and the sailings 2477. If U->boats do not improve that tally very considerably it will take a long time to starve perfidious Albion. The figures covering mercantile traffic to France and Italy also arc evidence that so far, Germany's policy of unashamed piracy has fallen a little flat. There are no indications that the transport of men and munitions to and from England has in any way been interfered with. Cross-channel transport work must be very heavy at the present time in view of the extension of the British front in France, and the need for building up reserves in readiness for the approaching offensive, but the Germans' under-water fleet has done little or nothing beyond embarrassing the Admiralty in its overseas duties. To be of any real use to their cause, the enemy U-boats should be able to isolate England, as the Kaiser, Hindenburg, BelhmannHollwcg and von Tirpilz threatened they would do at the opening of the new campaign. This isolation they have signally failed to achieve, and though it would be dangerous to argue from existing facts that "supcrfrightfulness" had failed, there is every reason to believe that the steps taken by the Admiralty have gone a long way towards neutralising the menace. The escape of such a considerable proportion of the ships assailed is an encouraging sign. The great majority of these would be armed, and if sufficient guns and

gun crews can be scraped together, it should not be long before the bulk of British merchantmen are adequately protected or placed in a position to fight on equal terms with the sea-marauders. As to how many submarines have been accounted for since February 1 there is little to guide us in arriving at a conclusion, but Mr Frank Simonds, editor of the New York "Tribune," who has gained a brilliant reputation by his articles on the war, reports that the "bag" to March 3 numbered 25. The Admiralty, in accordance with its usual policy, is silent on the subject, but Mr Simonds claimed to be quoting official figures. If that is the case, we can better understand the relatively small success of Germany's unrestricted submarine campaign to date. The loss of 25 U-boats would leave wide gaps in the alleged ring enclosing the British Isles. However that may be, the figures supplied by the Press Bureau will lhave cold comfort for the enemy.