New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-03

and told how France has aerial coast
patrol stations all around her coasts,
her patrols numbering 552, which are
to be increased TO 900.
Lacaze Explains Methods
AZ see no reason why | should not
sneak of these methods in public said
Admiral Lacaze. at would be childish
TO think they are unknown to the
enemy. They consist Of system OF
patrol boats, of arming merchantmen
with guns and fitting them with wire
less; of seaplanes. nets, mines, smoke
raising devices and dragnets.
when ] entered the Ministry !
found 243 patrols. Now we have 552.
do not say it is formidable, nor even
sufficient, and ! have drawn up
scheme which will increase the figure
TO 900. ( buy in London, the wor IDS
centre for shipping. ! am obliged to
do so because our shipyards had been
almost completely abandoned; because,
as a result of that short-war theory
which weighed so regrettably upon al
decisions taken at the outset OF the
war, the yards had been transformed
into war material factories to meet the
pressing needs of the national defence.
We have now got back most of the
arsenals and a number of private
Yards, together with skilled workmen.
"The guns we mount on the patrol
boats have been referred TO disdain-
fully. but YOU cannot put 10-centimetre
guns on a small vessel. A patrol boat
On guard, armed with 96-milllmetre
guns. met two submarines armed with
lO5-millimetre guns, sank one and put
the other to fight.
1--WE have 200 dragnets, as well as
17O.500 curtain nets and 5000 2O-foot
float nets, which indicate the presence
Of submarines. We have special bombs
for submarines and apparatus TO throw
them.
I'VE have organized aerial coast
patrol stations all around the coasts,
so that the zone of action of each post
joins that of it's neighbor on either
side. By October all merchantmen
and patrollers will be fitted with wire
less, and all merchantmen supplied
with guns Of as heavy callbre as pos
sible, for which measures programmes
have been drawn up even beyond what
was thought possible"
Large dirigibles would put an end TO
U-boats. Lord. Montagu has pointed out
that the value of aircraft for hunting
submarines has not been sufficiently re-
allied.
Unfortunately, the Allies arc far
from being i'm position to patrol the
sea lanes with large number Of ait.
ships, although there is a possibility
that Great Britain will put some into
service within few months.
The submarine menace can be
checked by tho improved present day
aircraft scap!ancs. small dirigibles
ard kite balloons. The United States is
now building large seanlsues which arc
capable OF carrying fuel for continuous
flights Of over fifteen hours and capable
Of travelling at speed Of over sew
cnty-hvc miles an hour. American
manufacturers have supplied quite Il
number Of large seaplanes of this type
to England, and. as c. G. Grey, the ed
itor of 1.-THE London Acceptance" has
pointed out, "if America is seriously
perturbed about the fate Of American
shipping and American citizens trav-
Cling at sea IL should not he a difficult
matter for America to rig up in a very
short space Of time quite a fleet Of
acroplanc carriers suitable for handling
these big scaplanes.'
las crossed the Channel since the be
ginning Of the wa- has been conveyed
by aircraft. Hundreds of dirigiblcs
and acroplancs are being employed now
i'm cooperation with destroyers, trawl-
ers and submarine chasers in destroy
ing hostile submarines and searching
coasts for submarine bases. The wake
Of "A p"riscope Is not easily seen from
ships. but is always clearly visible from
aeropancs. 4 submarine can be easily
observed when submerged to n depth. az
great as 100 feet m clear weather and
water I'm water which is less clear
tho sub rs visible at depth of from
twenty 70 thirty feet
Submarine Stands Little Chance
Aircraft guns up 10 three inches IN
calibrc are being manufactured to on
able scaplane pilots 20 shoot at the sub
marine. as we'll as bomb il. The sub
marine. unless IL happens to be on the
surface with guns ready to fire. stands
little chance to fight back at an aero
plane mounting even small gun or
equipped with bombs.
The principal value Of aircraft. how
ever. b. ~ locating and following tho
submarine and summouing destroyer.
trawlcrg or chascrg 10 bag IT when II