The Glenwood post., 1917-11-10
new DEVICES CUT
TOLL OF U-B0ATS
Admiral Benson Tells Of Meth
DDS Adopted to Foil
Submarines.
EDISON INVENTION IN use
Smoke Bombs and Smoke Screens
Are Proving Effective-camou.
mage Employed to surpris-
ing Extent.

my GNtent.
washington. An encouraging ac-
count OF the success of the devices
being used by American ships as a
means of escaping or destroying Ger
man submarines is given by Admiral
Benson, chief of operations of the navy
Several of the methods under trial at
present, one of them the invention of
Ihomas A. Edison, the admiral regard
ed as inadvisable to describe, but he
| discussed without reserve the devices
In general use on merchant ships and
! naval vessels.
1t was admitted that the naval con.
voy furnished the most effective safe
guard against the submarine. Admiral
Benson thought that the number off
conveyed ships sunk was even less
than the average up to a month ago,
when 1t was estimated that only one
half Of per cent fell victim to the
submarine. The impossibility of con-
voying more than n small per cent of
the merchant fleet leaving American
shores, however, has made necessary
the adoption of other protective meas
| ures.
Devices Employed.
| Among those most in use on mer-
chant ships, the admiral said, were
"smoke bombs" and smoke screens.
Camouflage also Is being employed to
| surprising extent, but particularly
on naval vessels. The smoke bombs
are merely containers filed with chem
lcals which when cast overheard
throw off dense black smoke, obscur-
ing the ship from an attacking subma-
rine.
A great variety of experiments in
camoufiage have been tried on naval
vessels. They have been painted ev-
cry hue of the rainbow that might
tend to merge the ship in its back
ground and make 1t indistinguishable
to Investigating periscopes. Admiral
Benson said many Of these devices had
been demonstrated to be of great
merit. Warships, too, are equipped
with detectors which indicate the prox-
Unity of other ships.
| More and more Of the merchant
ships. Of course, are being armed so as
to be able to give a good account OF
| themselves In encounters with the
U-boats, and experiments constantly
nre going on In the navy to improve
the weapons Of Offense employed
against the submarine. A special en-
deavor is being made to perfect the
operation Of depth charges so that 1t
may be possible more frequently to
"pot" the U-boats as they submerge
| or as they run along with only their
| periscopes showing.
Balloons are employed on the ships
for observation purposes, but their use
| Is not at all new.
1t was said today in contradiction
| of n recent Interesting story, that no
invention had been perfected in the
| United States navy which would en-
| able an attacked ship to detlect the
course of torpedo once 1t was fired.
This report, according to Admiral Ben
son, had no foundation whatever.
Bigger Submarines.
Another report which has been max
ing the rounds is that German sub
marines recently have been making 1t
| practice of sparing all passenger
ships they encounter. The only basis
for this belief, 1t was said, Is the fact
| that fewer passenger ships have been
sunk. They have been attacked how
ever, but in most cases have escaped.
There have been no German subma-
| rines near the American coast since
| this nation entered the war, so far as
| the navy department has learned.
submarine has been sighted nearly In
mid-Atlantic, but that is the nearest
approach one is known to have made.
The navy department has evidence
that Germany is increasing the size OF
her submarines nearly to the propor-
ton of small cruisers. This evidence
was obtained by ocular observation, In
part, and alsS rom the fact that the
| submarines now are mounting guns OF
nearly six inches in bore. Fragments
of shells falling on merchant ships
have disclosed the size Of the guns.