Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1917 — BIG SUBMARINE OFFENSIVE FAILS [ARTICLE]

BIG SUBMARINE OFFENSIVE FAILS

Germany Pays Heavy Price Sea Campaign of “Greatest ; Possible Magnitude.” i _________ ■! ALLIES DEFEAT DIVER COUP Convoy System of Protection for Ship* ping Has Forced the U-Boat Campaign to Alter Plans—Menace Held in Bounds, London, Dec. 14. —When the correspondent inquired of high naval authority “if the anti-submarine war wa» going well, and what was the reason for the high rate of sinkings in the last three weeks,” the answer was: “The enemy has had more submarines at work. He has actually been attempting a submarine offensive of the greatest possible magnitude In an effort to re-enforce his offensive on land. He Is trying to bring off a coup which will incline us to peace. “He has failed signally on sea as on land, and he has had to pay a heavy price. Our counter measures are meeting with Increased success.” Despite the fairly large number of sinkings reported this week, there Is no decrease in optimism among those who know the submarine warfare situation, who see no reason for modifying or altering Premier Lloyd George’s statement of November 20 that there is no longer any fear of the submarine proving a decisive factor in the war. Events since November 20, In have tended to Increase rather than decrease the confidence with which the premier spoke. Withing Measureable Distance. As to the number of submarines de-' stroyed during the same period, It Ist not permitted to give the actual figures but this much may be said : “The sinking of submarines (Turing November was ‘within measurable distance’ of the largest number the German U-boat yards wore capable of turning out In the same period.” Submarines Out in Groups. The German reply to the convoy system is to send submarines out Int groups which attack the convoy simultaneously In the hope that In the resulting confusion considerable damage can be done and an easy escape be effected. This system of group attack, while it occasionally has been effective, is very costly when it falls, for it' spells the doom not merely of one Üboat but of perhaps three or four. U-Boat Menace in Bounds. London, Dec. 14.—-“ The submarine menace, in my opinion, Is held but not yet mastered,” said Sir Eric Geddes, first lord of the admiralty, in the houses of commons. ‘Our shipbuilding is not yet. replacing our losses. “Since November 1, when I made my last statement, the downward trend of mercantile marine losses has continued satisfactorily. The upward curve of merchant ship building and the upward curve of destruction of enemy submarines have been equally satisfactory. I have no reason to doubt that all three will continue satisfactory. . | "It has been suggested that previous statements had been too optimistic regarding the submarine situation., But I stated that the enemy was build- 1 Ing submarines faster than they weresunk, and, although our losses were decreasing, they were still sinking ships faster than they were being replaced. “What I said then still applies. We cannot be accused of failure to recognize the gravity of the situation.”