The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-10-12

Underwater IeIophones snow Whoro
Craft Ars-Metorbeats and Acre.
planes Catch Thsm = Dstsetors 70
Show Approach Of Any warship
Tried.
Great Britain has discovered and put
into effective operation means of com.
batting the submarine which, according
to of1cial reports to the United States
government, already have resulted in
Q loss estimated at between nifty and
seventy German submarines. The re-
ports declare that the British admiral
n confidently believes 1t has crushed
ths German undersea campaign.
New methods Of offense and defense
that may revolutionize naval warfare
have been adopted, and high British
naval officers are Of the opinion that
unless the effectiveness of the subma-
rine Il increased It win no longer con-
stitute the menace that It has to COM
merce and battle fleets.
The British censorship has prevented
the disclosure Of details concerning the
developments. Within the last three
weeks, however, confidential reports to
various government departments from
representatives in European capitals Of
neutral as well as belligerent countries
have confirmed the British admiralty's
view that effective means of dealing
with the submarine have been found.
y These reports are being closely scru-
tinized on account of the bearing they
may have upon the naval policy of the
United States. They reaffirm officers
Of the navy In their conviction that the
Dreadnought still is the mainstay In
warfare on sea and tend to dissipate
the profound impression created by the
spectacular and for long time appar-
emily unsurpassed operations of the
German U boats around the British
isles
Detected by Sound.
While the greatest secrecy Is thrown
around the means employed, the Unit
ed States government has information
concerning the principal methods which
have been successful in meeting the
German war zone campaign. A sub
marine telephone has been developed
to detect submarines from observation
boats or stations planted offshore con-
nocted with points on the mainland.
For the capturing Of craft whose
presence has not been detected or even
suspected the governments reports de-
scribe how huge nets have been stretch.
ed across the channels through which
the submarines may be expected to at
tempt to pass, and in open waters. near
steamship lanes or in the vicinity of
warships, nets suspended between
floats have been spread broadcast.
Armed patrol boats watch, and when
the floats disappear beneath the water,
showing that submarine has become
entangled. the patrols congregate at
the place. and when the victim comes
to the surface. as 1t inevitably must
to disentangle itself, it is destroyed by
gunfire or captured.
A special type of mine also has been
devised, which is laid In large fields
that have proved particularly danger.
GUS to submarines approaching steam.
er lanes.
German Bases Destroyed.
The German methods of supplying
submarines with oil and provisions
either at sea or from concealed places
along the coasts of the British isles
have been ferreted out and practically
disposed of. This cOmpels the boats tc
return to their bases at more frequent
intervals and leaves them only com
paratively short time In position anG
equipped for effective duty.
Destroyers. the reports declare, be
come expert in the game of submarine
hunting, and armed trawlers also have
proved very effective on account Of
their speed and ability quickly to ge
within easy range of their victims
But the greatest single factor, 1t is said
has been newly designed and bull
feet of small seagOing motorboats
armed with one or two three-inch gun.
and possessing very high speed. These
boats literally swarm over suspected
eXpanses of the waters and by an eff
fectively worked out system of patro
cover almost every mile of the surface
In channels of commerce adjacent Il
Great Britain. AS submarine mus
frequently rise TO renew its air suppl!
and recharge the storage batteries b!
which it is propelled when submerged
any In the territory covered by th'
scout is almost certain to be eventual.
detected and destroyed.