The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-06-16

lUHAGEI0NKdWl InereaILer the mine Tell somewhat
RA=4 behind, not because 1t lacked
power to do harm. but for two
other reasons-frst, the wholesome
dread inspired by the prescribed mined areas and
next because of the various expedients adopted
by the belligerents to n~eutralize these subaqueous
weapons. Even so, the mine is playing a big part
in marine warfare, and we shall have to count
with 1t and against 1t now that we have Joined
forces with the entente allies.
1t Is a matter of record that the Germans got
the jump on the British by their prompt and even
daring employment of the submarine mine. With
in a very short time after the declaration of war
Teuton mine planters were operating on the Eng
nsh and Scottish coasts and were busily engaged
In sowing these weapons at the very entrance of
enemy ports and rivers.
For this purpose it was rather easy then to
have recourse to North sea fishing craft that had
all the outward complexion of innocence; indeed,
for weeks these boats went about their work we'll
nigh unsupported. 1t was only when British battle
craft were mysteriously damaged and sunk that
the British authorities awakened to their peril.
Even then the belief prevailed that the damage
was more or less a matter of sheer chance
chance in the nature of a friendly defense mine
that had got adrift. Then the next explanation
was that a particularly daring U-boat commander
had managed to get within striking distance, and
finally it dawned upon the British coast patrol
that enemy mines were being freely planted right
under their very noses.
Every fishing boat was then an object of sus-
p1cl0n, ana prompt investigation proved in n great
many cases that there was ample warrant for this
attitude. Neutral trawlers became more and more
infrequent In certain of the waters contiguous
to the north and east coasts of Scotland and Eng
land, and for a time the mine menace was held
pretty well In hand.
The resourceful Teutons, however, were not
checkmated, and 1t was only a question of time be-
fore they developed a method with which to offset
the vigilance of the British coastal patrol. Then
the German submarine mine layers got to work.
How many of these the kaisers experts have built
and sent to their fields of service in the waters OF
the North sea especially, is not known. 1t is safe
to say too many of them have been built and dis
patched upon their missions and the general char
acter of them all is probably much akin to that
Of the U-C-5, which was captured and taken into
a British port.
By chance a British destroyer discovered the
U-C-5 on the surface and in distress at some point
along the east coast. When ummoned by mega
phone to surrender the crew of the submarine
mustered on deck and held up their hands In
token of submission, but curiously before a relief
boat could be sent to them they jumped overheard.
The cause of their action was soon explained.
Another member of the submarines complement
suddenly appeared upon deck and threw himself
into the water and almost Immediately afterward
there were a number of violent explosions within
the U-C-5. The last man had exploded bombs
which blew holes in the craft. But for prompt
action on the part of a British sublieutenant, who,
protected by a gas mask, went dauntlessly down
into the injured U-boat, the mine planter would
have filled and gone to the bottom In water too
deep for her recovery.
AS 1t was, she represented a desperate task for
her wouId-be salvors and it was necessary to Sc
cure a couple of mines within the boat that had
been set free by the explosions before 1t was
safe to tow the submarine into harbor and to dock
her. Upon examination this new order of sub
marine was found to be charged or laden with a
dozen powerful contact mines housed in six YER
teal wells passing directly from deck to bottom of
the craft.
Each well held two mines, one on top Of the
other, and both were kept in their places by lock-
Ing devices which could be released from within
the submarine. The controlling station for this
operation was found to be In the coming tower,
so that the commander of the boat with only her
periscopes above water could see Just where to
SOW his weapons.
In this way the Germans have been able upon
many occasions to approach certain sections of
the waters about the British isles and to plant
there mines that have accomplished the destruc-
tive work cut out for them. How many ships
have been sent to the bottom by mines sown by
boats of this sort is, of course, a matter Of con-
lecture, but there can be no doubt that submarine
mine planters are actively employed today.
One thing about them that makes them of spe-
cial interest, even concern, to us is that there is
nothing to prevent their operating in a similar
manner upon our Atlantic coast. What Is to pre-
vent a submarine omewhat after the order of the
Deutschland from being equipped for work Of
this nature7 Instead of carrying some hundreds
of tons of commercial freight she could just as
easily divide that weight among mines. mine-plant'