THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15340, 1 October 1917, Page 3

THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

A BIG TASK FOR AMERICA. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 30. It was suited on behalf of the Ministry of Munitions that shipping losses since February Ist roughly equal the total losses during 'the war period before that date. Therefore it is necessary for America to turn out all the ships possible- Submarines will not be able to cut off the Allies' munitions, but the situation is not satisfactory. Unless America maintains her shipbuilding capacity, we will not be able to send our armies' food and fuel to Europe. The Germans may be expected to destrov a furtl"" 1 ooq ships by next spring. The present food supply wil 1 be exhausted by tuen also. America will be obliged to maintain the armies afield, requiring an enormous number 1 of ships. There is only one standard of building for a country great in re-' sources as America—namely, to outbuild with the Allies the submarine destruction. If this means building six 1 million tons annually, which is three times as much as Britain ever built annually, and five times as much as America ever built, the task is not impossible, provided America makes an effort comparable with the Allies' achievements during the war period. The Germans are not sinking more than five million tons of steel annually, whereas America's present output of steel exceeds forty million tons. The labour would not probably require more than half a million men, mostly unskilled. This task is as nothing compared with the efforts of the principal Allies in other directions. For example, Britain, in addition to. the new army and munitions. trebled the Navy's size and strength, also adding a million men thereto. ITALIAN OPERATIONS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 29. Italian official.—We. rectified our line between Sella Didoll and the northern elopes of Mont San Gabrielle. We maintained our position, notwithstanding repeated counter-attacke. BRITISH BOMB BEIRUT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Services.) LONDON, September 30. The Admiralty report: Naval aeroplanes on Thursday bombed storehouses on the south-western side of Beirut harbour. Many direct hits were made and fires started. All returned. , A cruiser shelled and set fire-to stoijehouses and other buildings.