Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1917 — 200 SUBMARINES SUNK [ARTICLE]

200 SUBMARINES SUNK

ENGLISH POET TELLS OF DESTRUCTION Of U-BOATS. Alfred Noyes Declares at .New York Britain Is Using Large Fleet to Attack Foes. ■ • * __ ■ , “ t New York, Feb. 23.5-England's antb submarine fleet consists of 4.000 private yachts, whalers and fishing vessels, manned by <IO,OOO men, and this force already has destroyed 200 German submarines, Alfred Noyes, English poet, asserted in a statement here. "Every boat is armed with gtins throwing 12 or 14-pound explosive shells and has 1.000 yards of steel netting trailing behind," he declared, “All the home waters are mapped out in blocks and each block patrolled. "Imagine 60 trawlers streching a steel undersea net from the English to lrisKs?otmt muF yrtt get some idea of the British admiralty’s anti-subma-rine campaign by which German submersibles have been driven from home waters and forced to attack neqtral vessels on the high seas.” Mr. Noyes said he had spent many days with the trawlers and was informed TeOhetr- captains that a submarine rarely 11. attack an armed vessel. What becomes of a submarine after it strikes a trawler’s net, the P<>et said, is a naval secret. “Some have been captured and taken to England, but most of them sink,” he added. “It is impossible to save the crews. What is done to - them when they hit the net I am forbidden to say.”