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Show What Is It Worth? As nn instrument of terror the submarine sub-marine is a tremendous success. As a moans of destroying un enemy 's commerce com-merce it. has so far proved a tolal fail ure. The difference between the German and Knglish figures of vessels destroyed may lie duo to the inclusion of trawlers trawl-ers bv the Germans, anil their exclusion exclu-sion bv the Knglish. If all the trawl ers were sw-opt from the sen it would have no appreciable effect upn British Brit-ish resources. If we take the German figures of the whole number of British and other enemy ene-my ships destroyed, together with the neutral ships destroyed, and compare them with the total sailings and arrivals arri-vals of British home ports, the number of vessels destroyed is about 0.9 per cent. But this showing is far too favorable fa-vorable to the submarines, for it includes in-cludes French. Russian and neutral i vessels destroyed, but does not include the arrivals and departure at any but British ports. As the submarines attack vessels going go-ing from British ports, as well as those approaching them, it is proper to include in-clude clearances as well as entries at British ports. Therefore, the British figures give the total sailings and arrivals ar-rivals at British ports, amounting to 31,38.1. The percentage of loss of these is 0.31 per cent, say, rather less than one vessel in' 300. Is it worth while to violate international law. and strain relations with the United States and b11 other neutral maritime nations, in order to inflict this amount of damage on British commerce? Philadelphia Record. |