Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-06


an War, has not been definitely franz
ed Notwithstanding the fact that Sec
rotary of the Navy Daniels and his
consideration continuously for months.
The building plans for the coming
year will not be completed until the
last moment, when. probably. Presi-
dent Wilson will say the final word
as to the number and type Of ships
tho navy department will request.
Meanwhile Secretary Daniels hopes for
moro information from the war zone
upon which the United States can
build with profit and safety.
So far little information has been re-
-ceived to aid the naval constructors.
All the belligerents are maintaining
the strictest secrecy as to their plans
or the lessons they have drawn for
themselves from the few sea battles.
American naval attaches at London.
Paris and Berlin. have had little OPP
portunity to furnish enlightening, re-
ports and there have been no foreign
observers aboard any Of the war fleets
at sea.
It Is said that the American attache
at Berlin has had opportunity to see
considerable Of the work going on in
German yards. but if SO he has been
under the strictest injunctions not to
reveal what he has observed. even in
Official reports. during the continuance
OF the war.
:. The greatest question that has come
out Of the war is considered by many
american naval officers to be the fu-
ture Of the dreadnaught So far as
Is known not a single capital ship has
been engaged and the value of those
enormously expensive fighting ma
chimes is still as problematical as 1t
was when England launched the first
all-big-gun ship, the Dreadnaught
England's newest super
the Queen Elizabeth, has bombarded
the forts at the Dardanelles: but so
tar as navy department advices go,
she is the only ship Of her class to
have fred a shot so far.
The reason for that, navy officers
cay. Is the full realization Of predic-
lions made for submarines when the
Arst undersea boat was constructed.
Against those small and comparatively
inexpensive weapons. no adequate
tneans of defense has been found and
the first line ships Of the fighting ma
Vies are behind mine field or screens
of torpedo boats and destroyers leav-
ing the active work of the war to the
older pre-dreadnaught battleships, the
battle cruisers and lighter and less ex-
pensive craft.
: When the first manoeuvres Of the
American navy in which submarines
participated took place. some officers
declared the day Of the battleship had
passed. In theory every big ship. which
approached shore during those opera
lions was destroyed. Events Of the
European war, so far as they are
known, apparently bear out that as
sumption Of the superiority of sub
marines and that is proving a vexing
problem in deciding what shall be the
future American policy of naval con-
struction.
Navy engineers now are deeply en-
gaged with experiments looking to the
discovery Of some practical defence
against submarine attack. Should
they And a solution Of the problem.
tbs big ship program will be vindica-
ted. While nothing has been revealed
Of their experiments, it is assumed
that questions Of greater subdivision
Of bulls and stronger bulkheads, of
armor to extend about the midship
sections Of battleships below the wa
terline and capable Of resisting the
blow of a modern torpedo. and also the
location of submarines at a consider
able distance and their pursuit by
swift, light. easily handled craft such
as dcstroyers are being considered.
The latter defense is the only practi-
cal one which seems to have met with
any success abroad. so far as is known.
vet officers here point out that at best,
It is like searching for needle in
haystack and that the destroyer de-
Tense does not meet the problem in
anything like an adequate way.
Location and destruction Of sub
marines by aeroplanes also is consid-
cred impractical In any but special
cases where weather, depth OF water
and other conditions make 1t possible.
Bomb dropping from aeroplanes. even
over far reaching land Notifications
and other easily visible stationary OBJ
tects has not proven SO successful as
to give much promise where small.
dimly visible shape beneath the sur
face Of the water is the target.
Similarly, submarine against sub
marine Is not considered possible de-
velopment Of undersea warfare unless
some new and startling device to give
submarine commanders the power of
underwater vision is discovered. SUBJ
marine IL a blind thing, once its peri
scope IL below the surface one
Of the novel exploits Of the war. how
ever. was the sinking Of an Italian
submarine by an Austrian underwater
boat. The reports of the encounter
however were not sufficiently complete
to indicate the value Of that sort OF
warfare.
The result Of the development OF the
submarine with widening range OF &C
ton, mounting disappearing guns for
surface action, and with increasing
numbers Of torpedo. tubes as shown
by reports from Eufope. has been to
create a school Of navy officers here
who are said to be urging the aban-
donment Of dreadnaught building In
favor Of a huge submarine fleet. 9th
Ar Officers declare the backbone OF
navy must always be In first line bat
~~S ara urvlnO 1arcor and