The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-07
EXPERTS CERTAIN U-BOAT DANGERS MAY BE 0BVIATED
Promising Devices to Combat Craft Have Been
 Tried.

Washington, May "A telegram to Addicks of Elizabeth, N. J., chairman of the Special Naval Problems con- mittee of the Consulting Board, has served to clear up somewhat mis- apprehension concerning the state ments made Saturday by William l. Saunders, chairman of the Naval Con- sulting Board, relating to the mastery of the submarine menace. The state ment follows:
 T fear some of the statements in val Consulting Board may unwittingly give wrong impressions regarding progress made in combating the sub- marine menace, and that. conclusions are likely to be drawn that the prob lem has been either fully solved or given up as hopeless.
 Satisfactory Progress Made."
 While it is evident that specific information as to progress made would be contrary to public policy at this time, as chairman of the commit tee of the board dealing specifically with the marine menace, fell justi. fled in saying that good and satisfac- tory progress has been made and that we have now under practical trial some novel devices of great promise. This committee was formed at the time of the break with Germany to take over alp roblems relating to the detection and destruction of subma- rines and the defeat of the torpedo. and has under it's direction the various experimental stations devoted to this work. In addition to this, MT. Edi- son is separately conducting a line of experiments in his own laboratory, re- garding the results of which I am not qualified to speak,
 MT. Addicks statement confirms the understanding officials of the de- partment have had of the progress be- ing made by the inventors. They have been at work for months on various | research studies and since the declara- tion of a state of war with Germany have redoubled their efforts to find a way to cope with the U-boat menace. In many instances naval experts have been called into consultation by the board members or have aided in | direct experiments. Every precaution I has been taken by the department however, to prevent any knowledge of the nature of the experiments from becoming public. That policy will be pursued. The department is deter mined that if the hopeful indications l from the consulting board are borne out and one or more new ways o1 meeting the submarine discovered the German authorities shall be prevented l from securing any inkling of hat is in prospect and thus be denied an op. 1 portun1ty to prepare against any new l weapons in advance.
 sI have great faith that American ingenuity will find means of com batting the stbbmarir1e1;'d said Secre- tary Daniels last night, although ] have in mind no special device among the hundreds which have been pro- posed to us to fight the menace. truly believe something will be de- veloped that will be effective against the underwater boats.
 | Experts of the Naval Consulting Board and Of the Navy Department are working had experimenting with the devices which may go a long way toward giving us victory. Some prob, ably have merit, and others not, but all are being given fair tests The precise nature of any cannot be dis closed, of course.' 2 The department itself has done 2 l great deal of experimental work, botI
 with devices for the destruction or de
 lection of submarines and also witt interior defense for warships agains
 torpedoes and mines. American ship.
 of recent design are complete de | parture in some respects from any
 thing afloat, so far as known. It ha.
 been said conf1dentially by high nav,
 officials that it would take at leas
 three torpedoes to sink a battleshiI constructed to the plans for the foul
 ships just about to be laid down.
 Paral1eling the effort to meet tn, | GermGn submarines are the efforts O
 the navy to make American subma 'rines even more efficient. Variou
 schemes have been proposed calculat
 ed to give American U-boats practic
 ally unlimited submerged radius ant
 tremendous increase in submerged
 speed.