The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-07
LINERS SMOKE
 SCoEEN POLLS
 U-BOAT ATTACK

New York, March 7-Equipped with elaborate apparatus for creating a smoke screen, and armed with one of the new British naval six-inch guns, the Cunard liner Carmania reached port last night from Liver pool with sixty passengers and mails.
 She is the first merchant vessel to reach this port with the smoke screen apparatus. To it she owes her escape from U-boat attack. Since her return to merchant service, after serving as an auxiliary cruiser, U-boat command CTS have sought her time and again. The fact she has been using smoke as protection was not learned un- til her arrival yesterday.
 , Mounted on either side of the after bridge are two huge venilators. Elk cept that they are larger, they are no different in shape and coloring than the other ventilators.
 In an emergency, when the peris. ,ope of a U-boat is sighted or when warning of the proximity of a Uboat is received, the bridge officer, by means of an electrical contrivance, turns the ventilator openings toward the point from which attack is ex- pected, and in less than fifteen sec onds huge clouds of dense black moke roll astern of the vessel, ef- aectually screening her from the ,nemy's gunners.
 50 U-Boats Sunk He Says.
 The Carmania received the Laco- nia's s. o. s. thirty minutes before he left her pier at Liverpool the
 ho
 fleet of ten vessels that put to sea !. that night. the White Star liner Bal tic. due tomorrow, being the only other passenger liner.
 The Carmania put into Belfast Loch for four hours until advised the chan nel was clear, and then continued her voyage by way of the north or ire ; land to New York. She passed the :, Baltic the following day.
 l One of the Carmania's officers stated that February l the Brltlsh 1 Admiralty knew there. were loo U-boats operating in the Irish Sea. By February 16 the Admiralty mad accounted for fifty, sunk or captured by the trawler fleet, part Of which l had been taken from the North Sea ] to aid in the hunt.
 1 In Davenport, England, said this ! officer, are more than one hundreo : U-boats that have been captured. Some are beyond repair, others are being prepared for sea again under the British flag. Tn the same port, which is one of Englands submarine l bases. are being finished the three l largest submarines ever built Ac- cording to the Carmania's officer, who from S5D to II 400 feet in length, have surface speed of twenty-two knots and mount six-inch guns on their decks.
 Orduna Safe at Liverpool
 Among the Carmania's passengers were the Rev. Dr. John 'Kelman, of St. Georges Presbyterian church. Edinburgh, and Mrs. Kelman, here to visit their daughter, Mrs. James D 1 Hayes, of Princeton, before she and her husband start for mission in China Winfield R. Sheehan, of the Fox Film Company, returned from business trip to England and France Word was received from Liverpool yesterday the Cunard liner Orduna lhad arrived safely at that port. The Orduna sailed from here on February 24 with 61 first and AZ second cabin passengers, of which eight were Americans.
 Officials of the Oriental Naviga- ltion Company said their American |freighter Aztec was loading for Bor- deaux, and that in the meantime hel decks were being strengthened te mount the three-inch guns suggested as defensive armament for her by the Navy Department: Whether the guns will be mounted before she leaves has not been determined.
 The American freighter Manchuria of the Atlantic Transportation Line, i. still waiting orders to sail Official: of the line said she will probably ge away today.
 Scarcity of tonnage and the uncer tainities of the submarine situation caused an increase in freight and in lsurance rates today. The Interna tional Mercantile Marine advanced it cotton rate to Genoa by the Cretic sailing March 31, to $5 hundred pounds. Rates last week were iron ss.25 to $4. The general cargo rat is s4 a hundred. War risk insuranc, rates to the United Kingdom, whicl have been at to 7 per cent, wer quoted generally at 8 per cent. witt some underwriters asking 10.
 According to rear Admiral Bradle. S. Fisk, U. s. N., retired, the sea go ing commerce of the United States cal hope for no real protection by armin, merchantmen. The primary defens effort, he told the trustees of tn American Defense society at din ner yesterday, should seek develop ment of the power of the United State } on the sea- Officers of the Unite' States navy, Admiral Fisk said, wer unit in favor of arming Americal merchantmen, but it must bs remem bered that submarines operating O. . the surface were more than a niatc , for merchant ships.
 RECREATION EXPERT
 TO GIVE LECTURE HERl