France's Loss General_sxmpathy will be felt with the French Navy. over the Rose of the submarine Phenix and. her gallant ere, whose sudden disappearance off Indo-China' occurred—last week, Whether. the oil. discovered Monting. en the surface of the idl in fact indicate the me was lost will prob-ind that aren such re of test submarine if-not impossible at least of the arearest df= ly. The fuct that obsequies have been per over the place w the vessel disap= peared dicates that. th French Government hho recognized that the unfortunate crew has tween killed. These men died just as much for their cour if they had met their deaths in the heat of warfare. Submersions have 10 be performed in the ordinary course of preparation for actual war, and though they have been Tost in times of peace, they have nevertheless made the great suerifiee In the interests of their country, and the greatest sympathy Wil be felt with France over the loss of so many of her gallant sons. Unfortunately. the inability to. raise the vessel' deprives the French authorities of the means of discovering what caused the foundering of the Phenix. The sacrifice of the crew, therefore. has no com-ensating features, for investigation will not have the opportunity. of iereasing safeguards which might be perfected as a result. There appears to be nothing sinister about the loss of four submarines during recent. months, some people with vivid imaginations appear to think, "There is no suggestion of anything of the kind, and at the present time not a tittle of evidence to show that these accidents lye the result of that sabotage which Isso realy. seared in some countries. It is more probable that all of them are the result of those "acts of God" against which no. human ingenuity can hope to prevail, and while superstition suggests that tragedies such as these Always run in certain numbers, It Ix tobe hoped! that the tale of submarine necidents has now been told, and that, at any rate for some time (© come, the world will be spared reeurences of these disasters, The Thetis Enquiry Questions asked in the House of Commons reflect quite naturally the country's concern at the failure to raise the submarine Thetis spite of statements that salvage of the vessel Would be effected in the near future. After hope had been abandoned for the vessel, it was stated that the vessel would be raised a few nys later, but ten days have elapsed and the: Prime Minister had nothing better to offer to Guestioners than' the statement. that salvage operations would be recommenced in {wo oF three weeks' time, The magnitude of the dis faster to a new submarine manned by a full crew and carrying, some of the country's lead-Ing submarine designers and experts must. influence the authorities to redouble their efforts because until the yesso! ly raised it it not likely that an accurate assessment of the causes of its wreck will be obtained. Taking into consideration the sentimental suggestion of the families of the vietimx that it be allowed to remain on the ocean bed asa tomb for the men it trapped. it cannot be raid that the escape of Captain Oram and the few others will provide that "authoritative evidence necessary for 9 court of enqitiry to pass a substantive judg ment, and the longer the submarine remains the more difficult it will be to raise There has been considerable speculation anid surmise on the disaster which should be Ixnored in view of the appointment of a court of enquiry, but as the country. has demanded that the vessel be raised to set all doubts at rest that demand should be satisfied x far as possible. The Prime Minister hax announced that three arcossers will assist Justice Buckhill the enquiry. They are Captain G. C. Menzi 1 submarine specialist, iormetly in command HAMS. Regulus, one at the vessels in the Fourth Submarine Flotitiy in Chins: Cantain Ryley, one of the elder brethren of Trinity House; and Protersor T. B. Abell, Professor of Naval Architecture at Liveryoel Un versity. Professor Abell, whois a member of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors any Was Assistant Director of Designs of the Admiralty, ix brother of Sir Westeott Abell, formerly Chief Ship Surveyor of Lloyd's Revister A Wise Move If the British) Government docs decide to establish a Ministry of Information the only. comment which will be mide will probably something. like bout time, too." for it has been Ppa a. very Teng time British ease hae not been -ade= med to the world, and that other have equipped themselves with ry_have been having things their much 100 necessity has been Government other inguages besides its own for the purpose of cffeelting deal of anti-British stuff whick was ly" being emitted. What is surprising is that the German Press should be so indignant over the scheme. At the very nest Britain' movely' proposes to play: German game, with the prot do very mutch better what the Germans have been attempting to do, The "Lokalenzelger" Is (spi= Pin its comments:—neirelement be added now direct intervention in. Gi crinal affairs, 10 bla poisoning from within catchword "peace." It Germany hee from withen nid all this under the a netorivts fact that Ministry of Provayanda,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.