New-York tribune., 1917-07-15

Ju,v 14.-AlOngside a light
nnV D !. the naval construction yards
sS ss.,s,. Limited, l saw long
: ueaasts craft which looked for
world like one of the grain
y .v r ships Of the Great Lakes; in
ST. of the plant saw a model
% .ssrsea boat built in the same
few years ago, and it looked
=. ~, N, Of the toys which delight the
=, .kippers of the Prospect Park
l.' grooklyn. Put these submarines
~ - side and one begins to ap-
- 80. the development in undersea
F..n,,ion in the short span Of years
" -. y. war started. The latest type
p.,isb submarine is a credit 10
latest navy in the world. Per-
-. Germany has something better to
-. =. but II so it still remains a
gent .,.
a., ,ppertaining to submarines has
49, .ry.loped in secrecy. For a time
,.,,;yed reports Of ships that had
~, ,orpsdoed. but now the Admiralty
-.,g.. the public with no names Of
=. ~ .hips lost or their tonnage. Much
:, b.,n written about the various de-
-, employed in snaring submarines,
!, ,vsr has there been any official
,.,..nsnt for public consumption. COL
,-,, snd columns have been published
,,vt The activities Of the U-boats. but
-,k is there a line printed about
sdtsh submarines.
Tbs British Navy has been shrouded
.rystery. and no department Of 1t
Z, S,en more jealously guarded from
s,,tes OF the outside world than that
,f,hs submarine.
Ths submarine is a surprise weapon.
y,,s than any other fighting imple-
-,,, me submarine depends upon the
,,-srt Of stealth. And that secrecy
,,.h ,oyers its movements at sea be-
-, A. the time It's keel is laid under
,I,i guarded by armed soldiers. The
,5rciple upon which the submarine
,,.rstes is known to all naval con-
rruttors, but every month finds some
i-vrorenent made in the complicated
-sthinery Of the boat.
fhsd an opportunity OF seeing the
i,.,r;br Of the latest British submarine.
N, even If was permitted TO describe
!. D. lob would be more difficult than
,vtMs together the wheels and
rrnss OF q clock. Batteries and
nnss wheels and levers, speaking
,ub.s and electric buttons are so mixed
~ that all the novice gets is a feeling
II las stepped inside the storeroom Of
an rrsrstoeked hardware store. But
ces q rovice can see at a glance that
everything has a certain function TO
perform, and that the multiplicity Of
t.ress forms a harmonious whole. It
takes considerable time 70 build the hull
ois subnirre, and even longer TO con-
stset and install its "vitals.'
i. Hickers Yard Is Busy
rars were building submarines
hx British and Japanese navies
ksn re war. In the last three
,aI he product Of their yards in
.lrst and size makes their pre-war
NrE seem almost negligible. To-day
eJ are rushing work on submarines
is: s il Admiral Jellicoe had Ad-
sir Capelle's job 70 do. If the Wick
m ysrd were in Bremen, instead Of
hrtv, the new British Food Con-
s-ag would have a whole lot more
s'vcry hime. Some of their boats
L. As enough 70 accept challenge
t'sn destroyer, or even & light
isser.
lhsrs are a few Americans who per-
hsssuy underrate their country and
rfzd great chunks Of gloom around
',snutr anything IS said about the
Ir' America can play in the war.
Is, after visit 70 one Of the great
si,tion factories, such as Viekers.
s.s';esns get a real appreciation or
satgss "Aint Il z Grand and Glori-
- Feelin'?' First you look at one
y nese new sea rnarvels, and then
''sr guide takes you into an engine
~ snd says something ike this:
zee hose rows Of machines! They
a-s from America. So busy over
srs We have had 20 get most Of our
w plant from the States. See those
Wv snginesl American type. Strong
NJ rtlisbls. We are using them in
~ Few submarines. Where are We
E'sng our steel plates? America
.N people have made lots Of money
- .. us, but I don't know what we
H''d have done without you
Crews Number Fifty Men
an rot permitted TO state the mum
" q submarines Vickers have built
~. ee beginning Of the war nor can
tIVs ne length and tonnage Of the
sss7 ont you may get some idea Of
we when you know that IL takes
.'W of nearly fifty % run one. They
tapmerge in less than a minute
Csy have a surface speed consid-
10y exceeding that Of Sandy Hook
s.shaoosi- These undersea boats can
1h away from their bases as long
not longer than, the best Ger
= lseA A-f'ss A4HfAN bit ANo n
-aogrsph and some miniature cine
smuse the men while the boat
- % ne bed ~ the sea of Ger
-. lort sometimes for a period Of
,y-iour hours. A. best life aboard
snaiine is tedious, dangerous and
,s1e, but the new boats are equipped
~ number Of comforts IL was i'm
800 70 instzll in the cramped quar-
f" tne earlier types
Pre-War Boats Pygmies
sas issns 20 bs no limit in size
=, building % submarines. The
shfes years have brought a type
- mskss TIE pTe-war boat look Ike
t,.say' ana still enc naval construc-
s.,. fs not satlsaed. The develop
-, u spbmarino construction has
49, rspis ss the progress made in
ia's.tns building. Some day in tn.
.s'u's there may be subharine
ss.,s a. transatlantic passenger