The Washington herald., 1916-02-10
BY f.. Il. JOHNS.

For the first time some OF the details OF
the construction of the NeT system Of
submarine propulsion are made public IN
the hearings before the House Commit
tee on Naval Affairs. MIR. Nef has been
working with the officers at the Navy
Department and has refrained from talk
ing for publication at to how he worked
out the problem of dispensing with
storage battery in submarine.
When questioned by the members
of the committee Mr.. Men declared that
A new system OF power was developed
by handling the air supply of a subma-
rine. The type Of Compressors We use,
said Mr.. Nen. ARE the same type as is
used on battleshps and the air TASKS
are the same as those in other subma
rincs. The oil engines are the same
are now in submarine boats. The only
unit that is thrown out in making this
experiment is the eXhauster. We prac-
tically make no changes in the interior
Of the boat. We leave the submarine
builders to construct the boat"
After the air is used by the crew of
the boat, Mr.. Nefr explained, 1t passes
to the engine. Here it Is used for COM
bustion
Nov We take the products of COM
bustiOn-the exhaust sases-from the
engine. outside the null of the boat to
Il system of Condensing tubes, where the
expanded gas is condensed. Then it is
drawn inbOard by the mechanical cX-
haustcrs. and in turn pumped overboa I'd;
and here, underneath the hull, is a sort
of Clam-shcll arrangement for spraying
out the exhaust which breaks up these
bubbles and carries them back to the
prOpelers of the subma rine boat, where
they are beaten and Churned up like an
egg heater, and owing to the finely di-
fl,,1
to quickly disappear. Chemical engineers
have told me that considerable por-
ton of the prcJuCts of combustion would
be aSOrbed by the salt water, owing to
the affinity water has for it, and that
the propeller disturbances would greatly
aid this so that it is quite proba bic that
the bubbles would not be disCernible."
OF absorbing interest will be Sec
retary of War Garrison's speech be-
fore the Chamber of Comerce today.
His utterances will no doubt represent
the administrators views upon some
of the vital details of army legislatio
which We're not covered in the Presi
dents speeches during the recent
Western trip.
The President stated specifically that
the country should have 500, 600 federal
troops ready for immediate service
in the event of war. No mention of
the continental army or just what
should be done with the National
Guard was made by the President.
Evidently the President intends TO
leave these features of the program
to the Secretary of War. In the out
line given out by the Secretary of
War the continental army was to sup
plement the regular army in furnish
ing the country's first line of lano
defense. The general staff objects to
that feature of the secretary's pro-
gram. which places the continental
army in the first line and insis.s that
this should consist entirely of the reg
ular army.
Congress has already indicated that
it will not accept the continental army
project 1t is stated that there are
only twenty-four votes for the conti-
mental army in the House and it's ac-
vocates are now ready to admit that
there is no prospect OF the continental
army legislation passing in its present
form. Both Chairman Chamberlain
and Chairman Hay are insisting that
the National Guard should take the
place in the Legislative program that
was set aside for the proposed conti-
mental army.
1t is understood that the Secretary Of
War will in his speech today set forth
how this should be done. None of the
propositions pending before the military
committees really federalize the militia
in the opinion of the Secretary of War.
To be an affective and dependable ma
ti0nal force the militia according to the
views of the Secretary, must be entirely
under the control of the Federal govern
ment. 1t should be under laws and recu-
Iations by which the Federal govern
ment should train and discipline it in
peace time and there should be no in