The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-20
g. S. Genii Evidently All Busy
to Defeat U-BOatS.
Include Wide Range-Scientist
to Humble PlOWbOy.
NAVY FLOODED WITH PLANS
Classify Submarine Bugs
Plans Under Three Heads.
Destruction, Evasion, and Tor
pedO-PrOOf Vessels.

available inventions on how to defeat
the German submarine menace, seems
like it ought to be easy for Uncle
Sam to turn the trick" That's ap-
OF overcoming the U-boats that have
been sent to the navy department by
volunteer genii thruout the nation
since America entered the war
Secretary of the Navy Daniels has
issued the following statement anent
the flood of anti-U-boat inventions at
hand:
Since war was declared the naval
consulting board has received more
than 10000 separate suggestions,
plans or models of ingenious devices
for use by the navy department and
representative of the thought of the
inventive talent of the country.
A wide range of citizens have thus
contributed, from the country's distin-
guished scientists and inventors who
are almost constantly at work for the
government to the obscure plowboy
whose Imagination has quickened to
the idea of meeting the emergency and
has fashioned a mechanism from
wire and spools and a Whitfield stick as
a token of his devotion.
All Suggestions Duly Considered.
All the suggestions submitted have
received careful consideration and
those of merit have been brought to
the attention of the secretary of the
navy. Those ideas involving new prin-
c1ples, indicating careful thought and
study and submitted in concrete FORM
nave been presented to the secretary
OF the navy with fuh argument.
Many proposals have been found to
be Impractical, largely due to the fail
ure of the inventors properly to In
form themselves of certain funda-
mental principles. However, much
valuable aid has been given to vari-
Gus branches of the war service The
naval consulting board and the navy
department have prepared and are
giving free distribution to pamphlets
which give general information to in
ventors that they may avoid acting
upon misconceptions as to fundamen-
tai principles with consequent waste of
effort
Majority Concern Submarines.
The predomipating thought of in
ventors has turned on methods to com
bat the menace of the enemy sub
marine and more than two-thirds of
all the suggestions received bv the
naval consulting board have concern
ed this problem
The thought on submarine defense
may be subdivided as follows:
/. Methods to accomplish the de-
struction of submarines, involving de-
lection and destruction after detec-
ton.
2. Means of avoiding submarine at
tack, involving instructions for mer-
chant vessels, proper handling of YES
sells, camouflage, smoke screens, and
books and other confidential informa-
ton known TO our naval authorities.
3. Protection of ships against tor
pedo hits.
The Armed Chaser.
The idea that the submarine will be
nv Nv
not now seriously considered. The
more intimate knowledge the civilian
obtains on this subject the more con-
WINGED he is that the submarine can
be conquered by persistently hunting
him down by the weapon of which he
is most afraid. This is the armed
service boat, equipped with all of the
latest scientific devices and typified in
the modern torpedo boat destroyer.
Foreign naval authorities have frankly
stated their admiration of the degree
of perfection of American designs.
In regard to the protection of ships
against torpedo attack the undeniable
evidence of recent months of subma-
rine activity has demonstrated that
the immunity of a vessel depends very
largely on its speed and maneuvering
ability. It is significant that the per-
centage of vessels having speed of Is
knots or more which have suffered
while the losses of slow vessels whose
speed is less than that of a sub
merged submarine have been very
large.
Protecting Cargo Ships.
There is a possibility that some arti-
fetal means of protecting cargo-car-
rying vessels may be found practica-
BILE In no other field have so many
suggestions or so many duplicate in
ventions been presented to the board.
The detection and destruction of
submarines is the most important sub
ject under consideration. 1t is gen
orally conceded that the destruction
of a submarine is a comparatively sim
pie matter if she can be located. There
is important progress in this direc-
ton.
The naval consulting board, COM
posed of twenty-four distinguished
American scientists and inventors. OF
which Mr.. Thomas A. Edison is presi-
dent, is constantly at work on prob
| lens of warfare, and careful consid-
| atom is given to the suggestion Oh