THE submarine differs from other warships in a most
important respect. It introduces the factor of almost
permanent invisibility. It cannot be destroyed by
other submarines, and it can usually elude all kinds of
warships. In this particular war the Central Powers
being blockaded and their mercantile marine excluded
from the sea, their principal naval aim is to destroy as
much as possible of the mercantile marine afloat. For
this is a war between rail power and sea power. War,
like industry, depends for its very existence upon trans-
portation. Germany and her allies can reach all battle-
fronts by rail. Thus far Germany and her allies have
produced all supplies for the civil population and for
their armies from their own territory or territory
occupied by their armies. Germany believes that the
Central Powers constitute a self-supporting world in
this war, and are independent of the sea.

The belief of the German naval experts is that the
submarine could, if used "ruthlessly," destroy so
much of the world's shipping as to starve out England
and deprive France of her imports of coal and steel.
Without these imports France's munition factories
would soon be closed.

In fact the German authorities and the German
people look to the submarine as the surest weapon to
secure success.

-133-