e is no time to be lost.

(Signed) PAGE.

This cablegram had a certain effect. The reply came from Washington that
"eventually" thirty-six destroyers would be sent.

* * * * *

Page's letters of this period are full of the same subject.

_To the President_

London, May 4, 1917.

Dear Mr. President:

The submarines have become a very grave danger. The loss of British
and allied tonnage increases with the longer and brighter days--as
I telegraphed you, 237,000 tons last week; and the worst of it is,
the British are not destroying them. The Admiralty publishes a
weekly report which, though true, is not the whole truth. It is
known in official circles here that the Germans are turning out at
least two a week--some say three; and the British are not
destroying them as fast as new ones are turned out. If merely the
present situation continue, the war will pretty soon become a
contest of endurance under hunger, with an increasing proportion of
starvation. Germany is yet much the worse off, but it will be
easily possible for Great Britain to suffer to the danger point
next winter or earlier unless some decided change be wrought in
this situation.

The greatest help, I hope, can come from us--our destroyers and
similar armed craft--provided we can send enough of them quickly.
The area to be watched is so big that many submarine hunters are
needed. Early in the war the submarines worked near shore. There
are very many more of them now and their range is one hundred
miles, or even two hundred, at sea.

The public is becoming very restive with its half information, and
it is more and more loudly demanding all the facts. There are
already angry threats to change the personnel of the Admiralty;
there is even talk of turning out the Government. "We must have
results, we must have results." I hear confidentially that Jellicoe
has threatened to resign unless the Salonica expedition is brought
back: to feed and equip that force requires too many ships.

And there are other troubles impending. Norway has lost so many of
her ships that she dare not send what are left to sea. Unarmed
they'll all perish. If she arms them, Germany will declare war
against her. There is a plan on foot for the British to charter
these Norwe