SAFETY-FIRST

The glamour which attended the naval festivities yesterday in Portsmouth has undoubtedly struck a note of wonder in the minds of the American public. For, to the tune of celebrating salutes, Mrs. Charles Francis Adams had the honor of christening a new giant submarine to be added to the nation's fleet. Marking one more step in the government's policy of defence, the occasion at once assumed national importance.

By some strange coincidence, however, the chosen day was one which history had marred by tragedy. Exactly two years before, the seventeenth of December, the United States submarine S-4, while conducting a series of marine tests, met with the fatal accident which sent her like a plumb-line to the bottom. Four days later all forty members of a heroic crew were dead.

The association of these two events must at once arouse a storm of skeptical inquiries. Even the optimist cannot dream of advances in naval science which will assure perfect safety beneath the water. There-has been during the two years just elapsed, however, time for considerable progress towards this goal. It is to be sincerely hoped that every effort has been enlisted in the past, and that increasing courage will be manifested in the future towards the furtherance of a safety programme. Humanity is not prepared to stand for another disaster.