The action of Great Britain and France in accepting responsibility for patrolling the Mediterranean against submarine piracy, was probably the wisest solution of a difficult problem presented by the tension existing between Italy and Soviet Russia. Russia will not take part in the collective actions thus ensured, and by reason thereof offence to Italy has been avoided. Though this is so, it is considered unlikely that Rome will avail itself of the opportunity of joining with Britain and France in maintaining the safety of the Mediterranean, From two separate news agencies come the reports that an unknown submarine has encountered trouble off Cartagena, the fortresses there having opened fire upon it and motor vessels having dropped depth charges which seem to have disabled the craft. Much interest will await upon the discovery of the identity of the vessel, for it is apparent that the fact that the Cartagena batteries opened fire upon her indicates that they did not believe it to be operating under governmental colours, while the belief that she is the submarine which attacked the loyalist war vessels, seem somewhat to confirm the suspicion that she is either one of the insurgents' vessels or an enthusiastic assistant from elsewhere, The United Press suggestion that revelation of the submarine's identity might prove of embarrassment to some nation is probably true, though which it would be improper to guess at the present moment, especially in view of the danger that the guess might be wrong.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.