OCR Text |
Show m: Protecting Our M Transports U ' , .The torpedoing ot the transport t'" Tuscanla with 100 or more of our L' boys lost, Beta everyone to- asking Hj'i' -what more can be done to assure the safety ot the great fleet of trans- H ports that are carrying 'our boys Hi' -across. The public Impression has H. (. "been that most ot our ships were Hg "being landed at French ports. As Hj" the Tuscanla was sunk north of Hf Ireland, In waters moro infested with H' " submarines, she seems to have been Ht taking moro chances than most of K" the transports. As the V boats ap- H -parently have to go around the north , end of Scotland, the Fronch waters Hj, arc5 less easily accessible to them Hv " than those around Ireland. H)'. 1 WNKk ttaw are no doubt plenty of H - ' them as far South as France, and E. cur coyerument may be sending n ( K "' lot'of ships to English ports to keep a," , J 4he-Boches gueseiBg ' y. - H-ri Xit clrcuHutances surrounding tho a " "j , .: attack must be rigidly investigated to make euro that this terrible loss was not duo to any fault of the convoy con-voy system. Usually a ship that Is convoyed by tho ogllo destroyers gets through all right Our transports have been wonderfully lucky In escaping es-caping attack so far, -but clearly the, Huns are about to attempt a special drive at them Every .nerve must bestralned to build destroyors.ias these must be relied upon as the principal defense i 'for'ouf "troop ships.-- Every-shlp yard that Is" building them'' ought to be operated night and day with three shifts'' o'f men working eight hours each. Whenwe got our destroyer fleet doubled, It will be very hot for U boats in the tracK of our transports. trans-ports. Very few of our troop ships will bo nuccessfully attacked'. Tho navy construction department should not bo satisfied with tho force of men now building destroyers, but should bo training large additional gangs to speed up tho work to tho limit. |