Show I Equips Mosquito Fleet to Fight U Boats U-Boats oats I By Special Newt News Service I NEW YORK March 17 Franklin 17 Franklin D D. D Roosevelt assistant nt secretary orthe ot or the navy has rushed to New Now York with tho the utmost hasto haste and Is organizing organizing organ organ- izing tho the mosquito fleet neet which willbo will willbe willbo bo be this country's principal defense against U boats In case of ot war with Germany The Thc navy departments department's strenuous preparations against tho submarine blockade indicates the seriousness with which official Washington regards regards re roo re- re gards ards tho the possible extension of the barred zone rone to this side of tho the At At- Ian lantic tic Americans who Imagine this nation can support Itself that itself that tho the U boats can do America no harm harm are are overlooking over over- looking many things The Tho foreign commerce of the tho united States is carried la largely ely In foreign bottoms In 1916 the tho United States escorted products amounting to We Wo Imported products prod prod- totaling Of these Imports 2404 per percent cent valued at nearly n tt foodstuffs 01 that t we do not ourselves produce Furthermore the tho great creat bulk of oC imports Imports Im ports of oC all nil kinds some kinds some of which our people could not d do without without came came In British Japanese Norwegian Dutch French Danish Italian and Spanish ships Of or tho the Imports of American vessels carried only lees less than one Another Another An other worth came camo over oven overland land and all tho the rest camo came In foreign for sign eign bottoms Great Britain at the outbreak of the war or In 1914 had nearly tons of or merchant shipping the tho United States had d less than In 1916 in spite of tho the boat U-boat campaign Britain had a total of or mor- mor chant tonna tonnage e in commission while the United States had but and tho the greater part of ot this amount ing to tons 1 la is engaged In trado trade Our country produces no forro- forro manganese an absolute essential In inthe the Uio production o ot of the higher grades rades of or stool steel Last year car 90 tons were Imported valued yalU at nt more than a n ton Many chemical are not noL produced hero Tin must muni como come from tho Brit ish Isles and tho Straits Settlements Tho only supply Of or nitrate of or soda necessary for manufacture of ot explosives saves an and for tor fertilizer Is In Chile Interruption of oC shipping would result re rn suit sult In disappearance of a largo amount of fruits from our tables A shortage e of ot shoes would tably t. result from tho cutting off arc of Imports porte of cattle hides hideR which last lastu year car totaled 40 u pieces val 01 nt at Neither tea nor coffee correo Is produced In the tho R. |