The Washington times., 1915-09-04
Make the Trip Secretly to Point
OFF HeIgoIand and to the
DardaneIIes.
NOW AIDING IN WARFARE
Completed Within Five Months
After Contract Was Given to
c. M. SchWab.

NEW YORK. Sept. 4.-Operating un-
der their own power. without refuenns
or revictualing and without the slight
est mishap. ten submarines. designed
by American naval architects and built
by American artisans. have within the
last few months crossed the Atlantic
ocean and are now doing yeoman serv-
ice for the allied cause In German ana
Turkish waters. according to the New
York Herald.
While the rest Of the world has been
dreaming Of the day when the trans
Atlantic submersible would be an ac-
complished fact. the thing has been
done by American genius and American
craftsmanship.
In Just fve months from the time that
Charles NJ. Schwab. Of the Bethlehem
Steel Company. signed a contract FOR
the submarines with the British gov
ernment. the little vipers." as they
have come to be known, were turned
over to British crews at the Vickcr-
Maxim yards in Montreal. where they
were built jointly by the Bethlehem
Steel Company and the Electric Boat
Company. and started for the war zone.
Five are now operating near Heliso-
land. behind which island the main
German fleet has been hiding since the
outbreak Of the war The other five are
with the allied fleets in the Darda-
nelles.
Remarkable Achievement.
All records in submarine construction
have been surpassed by this feat. and
all records for speed and sustained ef.
fort have been exceeded. Within two
weeks after leaving Montreal Ave OF
the submarines were safe in the Eng.
!ish Chanel. Inside Of twenty days
the other five were in Turkish waters
and their commanders had reported fol
instant active service to the British
commander Of the allied fleets. Vice
| Admiral De Robeck.
The construction Of these craft anC
their dispatch to the European wal
zones were attended with the Creates
! secrecy. In the face Of the wonderful
! German system Of espionage the Amert
can workmen did their tasks unsuspect
ed. So thorough were the precautioni
taken that until now not person out
side of those intended to know had al
inkling Of what had been done.
From every standpoint the achieve
ment Is remarkable one. and its chic
value to Americans Is In its demonstra
tion Of what American naval construc
tors can do in strengthening the nation
al defense II called upon.
The Herald's information concerninI
1 4 L.
submarines comes from a source which
| cannot be questioned. There Is not tn,
slightest doubt that the thing has beei
done. and that the men who did 1t sooI
are to surpass even this achievement b!
the launching of cargo submarines
which 1t is expected will defeat an!
blockade Of commerce that is attempted
| by any of the warning European pow
ers.
Trip Without Mishap.
1t was to discuss with officers Of tn
British admiralty the possibility o
speedy construction on the American
continent OF submarines that coul,
safely cross the ocean that Mr.. Schwal
went to England last December. MI
Schwab convinced the British official
that it could be done. Contracts 70
ten OF the submersibles were signed a
once. Mr.. Schwab returned to tn
United States. In Ave months the sub
marines were ready for delivery. Tha
is the story in brief of the most re
markable accomplishment In naval con
struction since warships began to b
| built.
1t Is reported that the British ad
miralty was thunderstruck in Ma
when word was received from MI
Schwab that the su bmarines were actu
ally completed and ready to go int
commission. Such a thing had not eve
been dreamed Of. The British officer
who observed every step In the con
struction of the little undersea boats
however. reported that they were per
feet in every detail and the last wor
in submarine construction.
Crews were Immediately sent here
and within a few days after they ar
rived all ten Of the sea terrors ha
passed out Of the harbor and wer
ploughing their way through the ocea
u