The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-10-01
SUBMARINES AND pREADNAUoHTs

Since the development OF the modern
dreadnaught and the invention of it's
deadly enemy, the torpedo boat and
submarine little opportunityto test the
efficiency of the former as a fighting
craft has been had, and until within
few days nothing Of Importance has
been done to show the worth of the
latter as destroyer of the fighting
lepiathan. Before close of the EurQ
pean conflict now In progress inquest
ionably there will be naval engagements
of such character as will settle the
utility Of the larger vessels In naval
warfare and win also most likely fix
the value of the submarine While the
recent event in the North Sea has adj
vanced the stock OF the submarine 1t
has not by any means decided Its
status.
The sinking of three British cruisers
is not likely to change the British
plan very much. The Germans must be
kept bottled up even though this does
give the German fleet a considerable
advantage in the matter of raiding
By withdrawing to a point of relative
safety from submarines of torpedo boa :
assaults the British would merely make
possible wider fieldsof German raid
ing operations The fact that the boats
sent to the bottom were of an almost
obsolete type suggests that the British
appreciate the dangerous character of
their mission off Heligoland and are
making the cost as light as possible by
using inferior cruisers for the more
dangerous scouting work.
In the patrol work outside the Ger
man rendezvous the British cruisers offer
continual temptation to daring tor
pedo-b boat and submarine operators. OF
course, the British boats continually
shift their positions. but even then the
submarine may be able to get the gen
eral location and maneuver to point
from which effective fire can be de-
livered. Travelling well under the sur
face the torpedo boat does not disclose
it's position, but necessarily 1t must
make reconnaissance before dipping and
direct its course on data gathered be-
fore diving. That scores of submarine
attempts must fail Is indicated by the
fact that there have not been more
casualties from this source, but that
the submarine is also tremendously
effective has just been demonstrated
In the most emphatic way.
This destructive vessel Is a dimin
utive craft of from $50 to $50 tons
displacement. 1t is propelled on the
surface by steam and under the surface
by storage batteries. 1t carries fuel
for surface run of 1000 miles and can
travel as far as fifty miles under tn
water, sinking to a depth as great as
$50 feet. Submersion is affected by
means of vertical screws. one at each
end of the craft and operated by sep
arate engines. The boats heavy stee
hulk is built to withstand the heavy
pressure that comes with depth OF 100
to $50 feet The offensive power con
sists of a gun carrying heavy charges
of high explosives and projected either
by power or compressed air.
England has eighty-five of these
submarines. Germany has thirty. But
Pin the present mode of naval patrol
work the Germans have marked ad-
vantage in that the British are exposed
| In the open sea. BY use of warning
nets the Germans are able to stave
off submarine attacks that might be
launched against their vessels in pro-
tected stations.
| So far as its Importance as deciding
the matter of naval supremacy is con
cerned, the latest action is of no con-
| sequence-no more than IL a machine
gun platoon slipped up under cover and
wiped out part of picket before the
bivouac of an army. 1t will take many
| such coups to reduce the British navy
| But then repeated success of submarine
| raids might cause the British to draw
| off and give the German naval basas
a wider berth.