"Our Weakest Flank"

Three torpedo blasts in one day last week sent down 30,998 tons of British shipping, which is more than the tonnage of the biggest U. S. merchantman afloat./- These shots were particularly happy ones for Germany, for the three ships sunk were the laden oil tankers British Triumph and Gretafield, both off Britain's northeast coast, and the refrigerator ship Sultan Star in the Bay of Biscay, fetching home 6,000 tons of Argentine beef. For Great Britain, however, these sinkings had grim recompense: the two U-boats responsible were soon sunk, arguing reckless desperation by Nazi commanders in their effort to counter-blockade Britain, or greenness in a new class of submarine personnel, or increased expertness by Britain's defenders. Before the week was out Germany claimed a total of 122,000 tons, Allied and neutral, torpedoed or mined in the last fortnight--but the British claimed three more U-boats destroyed, making seven within ten days.

-- The loss of 6,000 tons of chilled beef was a loss indeed for Britons. On March 11, the United Kingdom goes on a ration of 1 shilling 10 pence worth of fresh meat per adult person per week (children under 6, half that). This will mean one pound to a pound and one-half, according to the cut, including fat and bone. Normal British meat consumption is one pound and three-quarters per person per week. But liver, kidneys, tongue, sausage will not be rationed, and restaurants may sell meat meals irrespective of ration cards, but their meat supply will be cut 40%. Government inspectors are on the alert for bootleg butchers.

In debate on an agricultural subsidy bill in Parliament last week, David Lloyd George declared: "Food . . . is our weakest flank."

Germany's meat ration is one pound, 1.6 ounces per person per week. Germany takes pride that, under totalitarian control, her wholesale food prices have advanced only .5% while Great Britain's are up 24%. In World War I, Britain did not ration meat until February 1918.

-- Fish supplements Britain's meat supplies enormously. Last week the Admiralty announced that British shipowners must provide shelter from machine-gun fire for the crews of all vessels plying out of British ports. The Admiralty will equip all North Sea ships, from fishing smacks up, with anti-aircraft guns. Already 10,000 fishermen have been recruited to clear British coasts of German mines. Last week the Admiralty called for 10,000 more, ages 18 to 45 (experienced men as old as 72 have been accepted).

-- Blunt object of Germany's indiscriminate war on neutral shipping is to discourage neutrals from trading with Great Britain. Great Britain's reply is her convoy system, of which she invites neutrals to take advantage, setting at one in 450 the chances of a convoyed ship's being lost. This week the Foreign Ministers of Denmark, Norway and Sweden were to meet in Copenhagen to consider forming convoys armed by themselves. From Sept. 3 to Feb. 15, Norway alone lost 47 vessels totaling 103,121 tons, nine of them in the last month. Last week she demanded from Germany compensation for damages, prosecution of U-boat commanders who machine-gun unarmed crews, set them adrift on the high seas.

/- S. S. Washington and S. S. Manhattan are 24,289 tons each.

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