The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-06

Washington. MAY 5-A program TO
stop the ravaees OF German suhma-
riafs on maritime commerce has been
ihm&tcd To the government hv the
naval advisory board This was an
nuaacea today bv w. L. Saunders,
cf3rnan OF the nodrd. He said the
slHg "a his opinion was a practical
sat'ttoa OF n. t-hoat problem He
stl X was not purely theoretical but
I. Hha Il had been proved by actual
tests along the Atlantic coast.
The scheme IA not merely de-
fensiNe measure against the subma
rlre. Mr. Saunders said IL called for
"oGensive operations on an extensive
scale"
Edison Pcrfecting Scheme.
Thomas A Edison. who is president
ae tbs anArd did not originate the
sch emc, Mr Saunders said. But the
Inventive wizard. he said had been
working ttrclessiy TO perfect It's many
phases Since the declaration Of war
against Germany, Mr.. Edison and. his
assistants have been trying thousands
of schemes suggested to block t.er-
manv's underseas warfare. now ad
mtttedlS the greatest menace 10 the
European allies and their new Ameri-
can partner. the United States,
Behind the program submitted to
the navy department is all of the F.di-
sonian practicahiitv and all of Ed
sons deft skill In accomplishing the
seemingly impossible Announcement
OF the scheme hv the chairman OF the
board dispelled doubts that II might
be merely another academic idea, de-
void of practical use. And that the
board made experiments before max
ing their findings public lef, little
doubt in the minds of naval officials
that at last the wars greatest prob
lem had been solved.
Details Not Given.
II the plan works. as few doubt
that II will. American brains will have
done what European cannon balls and
bullets have failed to do In three years
OF warfare No announcement was
made Of the details of the scheme
Mr.. Saunders explained that announce
,nent of il had been made at this
time TO allay the fears OF Americans
aroused by recent expressions OF
American and British officials that the
I--boat was beginning to crush the
limbs of traffic between the United
States and her European allies
Fifteen subcommittee submitted re-
ports of their efforts on the U-boat
problem. which now has been solved to
. the satisfaction of the board. he
added.
Mr.. Saunders took pains today to
dispel any suggestion that he was
theoretical in his findings:
81 am not a believer in theory" he
said ~ believe in practical work.
The Germans have been doing all the
offensive work so far while the allies
have been on the defensive.
Offensive Operations.
The new plan contemplates Often
sive operations on an extensive scale.
The result will be to narrow the field
OF operations of the submarines.
Mr. Edison is not directly re-
sponsible for the new device. but he
is responsible for the developments
of certain important phases of the
plan. Mr.. Edison has been giving all
of his time to laboratory work for
some time.
The naval consulting hoard has
been considering inventions at the
rate Of thirtyfive day for the past
three or four months. Each of these
suggestions or inventions has been
considered and tried out by spe-
cial committee of the board. Out OF
the vast number few suggestions
have been obtained. some OF which
are to be used In the proposed plan"
He said the new device would be
effective on land as we'll as on the
seas. Zone part of the scheme In
wolves destruction of submarines: the
other involves destruction on land"
he EXPLAINED. 1t may be permissible
10 say that the new plan will utilize
the present methods of combating
submarines namely the use OF de-
6troyers, submarine chasers. air
nlanes, observation towers and other
Devices"
N Re Used In "ReasOnablc Time"
Mr.. Saunders would not venture to
nv how soon the scheme would be
tried In actual warfare. He said Il
gcostlnusd . sseoad raxs,