Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-10-05
Methods Are Devised by English
Government That Render the
German U-Boats Powerless.
PROBABLY 70 ARE DESTROYED
New Schemes That May Revolution.
ize Naval Warfare Have Be-
come Known to U. S.
PROBABLY 70 ARE DESTROYED

Washington, D. c., Oct. 2.-Great
Britain has discovered and put into
effective operation means of combat
ing the submarine, which, according
to official reports to the United States
government, already have resulted
in loss estimated at between fifty
and seventy German submarines. The
reports declare the British admiralty
confidently believes it has crushed
the German undersea campaign.
New methods of offense and de-
Tense that may revolutionize naval
warfare have been adopted, and high
British naval officers are Of the opin-
ion that unless the effectiveness of
the submarine is increased, it will
no longer constitute the menace that
it has to commerce and battle fleets
The British censorship has pre-
vented the disclosure of details con-
corning the developments but with
in the last three weeks confidential
reports to various government de-
partments from representatives in
European capitals have confirmed
the British admiralty's view that an
effective means of dealing with the
submarine has been found.
According to the reports destruc-
ton or capture Of fifty submarines
actually had been reported several
weeks ago, and it was regarded as
possible that the number might have
reached seventy. A dinner was CIV
en- recently in London which, while
not a formal state affair, was at
tended by high government officials,
in celebration of the destruction of
the fiftieth underwater enemy. Re-
ports of the dinner apparently were
suppressed by the censor in accord
ance with Great Britain's policy of
keeping Germany in doubt as to how
many of the boats have been Destroy
ed.
Although greatest secrecy is
thrown around the means employed,
the United States has information
concerning the principal methods
which have been successful in meet
ing the German zone campaign. A
submarine telephone has been devel-
oped by which it is possible to detect
the sound Of the approach of sub
marine from observation boats or
stations planted off shore and con-
nected with points in the mainland.
For the capturing of craft whose
presence has not been detected the
governments report describes how
huge nets have been stretched across
the channels through which the sub
marines may be expected to attempt
to pass. In open water, near steam
ship lanes or in the vicinity of war
ships, nets suspended between floats
have been spread broadcast. Armed
patrol boats watch, and when the
floats disappear beneath the water
showing that a submarine has be-
come entangled, the patrols congre-
gate at the place. When the victim
comes to the surface, as it inevitably
must to dsentangle itself, it is de-
stroyed by gun fire or captured.
A special type of mine has been
devised that has proved particularly
dangerous to submarines approach
ing steamer lanes.
Destroyers. the reports declare, be-
come expert in the game of subma-
rine hunting, and armed trawlers al
so have proved effective on account
of their speed and ability to get
quickly within easy range Of their
victims. But the greatest single fac
tor, it is said, has been newly de-
signed and built feet of small sea-
going motor boats, armed with one
or two three-inch guns and possess
ing very high speed. These boats
swarm over suspected expanses of
the waters as a submarine must fire.
auently rise to renew it's air supply
and recharge the storage batteries by
which it is propelled when submerg
ed and in the territory covered by
the scouts is almost certain to be de-
tected and destroyed. These small
boats have been built in large num-
bers
Woman is Indicted.
Fort nndre Oct Mrs Kate