THE NAVAL WAR.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14654, 7 March 1918, Page 5

THE NAVAL WAR.

REVIEW BY SIR ERIC CEDDES.

INCREASINGLY IN OUR: FAVOUR

THE SUBMARLYE PROBLEM,

Australian a nd N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.i

(Received March 6, 6 p.m.)

London, March 5. Sir Erie Geddes, First Lord of the Adnuralty, in the House of Commons, m introducing tie Naval Estimates, «ud that generally naval warfare had proceeded increasingly in our favour. It continued to be chiefly a trial of ■strength between enemy submarines and Allied submarines. We depended on indisputable information from neutral sources with regard to the certain success of other enterprises. Occafeinal raids on our convoys and against the English coast were the natural outcome of the blockade, the enemy trying to harrass the blockading fleet. He believed that the exit of the Goeben and tho Breslau was a similar raid. The loss of the Breslau was serious for tho enemy.

Regarding the recent enemy raid in Dover Straits, Sir Eric Geddes said it was believed trat the passage of submarines through Dover Straits had been prevented by nets over obstructions since early in the war. That was not the case, and undoubtedly a considerable number of 6\ibmarines passed through the straits towards the end of last year. Recently a more vigorous policy rad been adopted, and a surface barrage was maintained across the channel day and night in order to obstruct the passage of submarines, and i at night time patrol boats1 numbering over^ a hundred burned flares so that any submarines attempting to pass on the surface had a reasonable chance of being engaged.