The Washington times., 1915-06-04
BRITISH ISLES
TO Be GUARDED
BY FAST BOATS
Speedy Seagoing Motor Sprint
ers viii Watch for Subma-
rines and Ram Them.
By JUDSON C. WELLIvER.


The American naval experts believe
| that unless invention shall unexpectedly
| come forward with some novel device
| Of which they have not yet dreamed.
the aeroplane must be developed into
the effective means OF defense against
submarines
Undersea craft are being studied from
| every point Of view, as all new develop
ments must be. We must have the best
of them for our own navy: II possible.
we must have them so powerful and
perfect that the enemy's measures Of
protection against them will be futile;
yet at the same time we must devise
our own means OF defense against the
enemy's underwater vessels that shall
be better than his defense, and that
will be effective.
That is in effect the problem that is
raised by every invention in warfare's
paraphernalia. Nickeled-steel armor
would have made a vessel impregnable
a generation ago; but when 1t came. the
matched It with bigger guns and more
terrible shells. Likewise the steel-tur-
reted. concrete-and-steel fortifications
would have been impossible of success
full attack by siege guns OF few years
ago: but the Krupps built the 42-centi
meters and overmatched them.
Leans Toward Armament.
tn race between armor and arma-
ment still leans to the side Of arma-
ment. Liege and Maubeuge proved
that.
In this eternal race between the Of
fensive and the defensive. came the
submarine and the aeroplane. 1t was
rather an after-thought that the aero
plane would prove the means of de-
fense against the diving boat. Today
1t is regarded as the one promising
means to this end.
Your submar arine must depend on
secrecy to make its operations effec-
tive. 1t is a sneak; not to be seen
by it's enemy, but to move about and
abouts is known. Its most serious
limitations are In travelling radius and
in the fact that 1t can submerge itself
only to a slight depth. 1t Is this latter
Limitation that makes the aeroplane its
effective enemy: for in the clear water
Of the ocean an underwater vessel may
be seen clearly from an aeroplane. at
any depth it is capable Of reaching
In using the aeroplane against the
submarine there are great difficulties
the efforts of the inventors are being
addressed to these. The flying ma
chine must be improved In its power
and its ability. so that 1t will be able
d In nai
long time.
The practical experience OF the pres
ent war has done much toward ef-
fecting improvements in these direc-
been developed to the point where there
is good reason to believe they finally
will answer this question about the
flying craft.
Aeroplane For Speed.
In point Of speed, of course, the
aeroplane has every advantage over the
submarine. When the improved aero
plane is able to maintain itself In all
sorts of weather. 1t will be available
In two ways for protection against the
submarine.
First, If It can carry explosives and
drop them on the underwater boat when
the latter comes to the surface. This
is not however the most effective use
for the aircraft as now developed. be-
cause OF the difficulty of hitting the
mark. The best results of aircraft
scouting. 1t Is believed, will be in To-
eating and signaling the whereabouts
of the submarines; summoning fast
scouts and destroyers to follow them.
and ram or fire on them whenever they
appear on the surface.
Imagine the great naval engagement
between the German and British fleets,
eha1 faL oil
are setting the stage and preparing
every detail on material for 1t. Sup