The Washington herald., 1917-02-06
2" DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE:
WARS ON HIGH SEAS MUST CEASE
Simon Invented the Submarine Which
Are Using Warns Financial America That Declaration of War
Between This Country and Germany Will Be Play Into
Germany's Hands and Explains Why

Believing that the seas are and should be free to
all nations. great small. as great International
highway where passengers and commerce may be
safely transported at all times without moestaton
from pirates. bulies temporarily insane people, we
hereby pledge our iyes-our fortunes-and our
sacred honor to do everything within our power to
maintain free and to prevent augmentation of
the present worlds horrible by trying to keep our
own senses and apply logic and due considera-
hon before taking warlike action that sure to bring
untold additional sufenngs the innocent.
The above might be declaration that all men in
their sober senses would agree to. but evidence is
rapidly accumulatng that Americans descendants
mostly from the other of the beigerent nations
now engaged IN the most titanic struggle of history,
are beginning to take sides and lose that neutrality
which great President. his desire to maintain
peace, has cautioned to preserve.
For years | have contended that the destiny of
the submarine to bring about cessation of mari
time warfare; these views have been expressed from
time to time before the most important scientific soce-
ties in both Europe and America and they have been
published in of the leading scientific journals and
magazines both IN this country and abroad.
Unfortunately for my theories and for the world
people did not then comprehend and DO NOT NOW
COMPREHEND. except to small degree, what the
advent OF the submarine to the world When
one considers the makeup of the submarine it not
to be wondered at; 1t is comp lex mechanism which
must be designed to resist great external pressure;
designers and operators of submarines must have
knowledge OF hydraulics, pneumatics electrical devices
OF various kinds navigation gunnery and many other
things that have been developed especially to meet the
needs OF submarine navigation such periscopes,
gyroscopc compases under water wireless telephones
ETC., etc.
have been making predictions as to the work
the submarine will do since the present war
began; most of these predictions have come true and
the others are on the way. study of the files of
daily newspapers. magazines and discussions before
engineering and scientific societies and publications,
such Century Magazine. Scientific American Inter-
national Marine Engineering. Popular Science Monthly,
etc. and In the discussion before societies of naval
architects electrical, mechanical and marine engineers
~l prove this. do not think am endowed with the
spirit of prophecy in being able to predict what is
likely to happen. | have been able to predict these
happenings almost the order of their occurrence due
purely to knowledge of the possibilities of the sub
marine and the knowledge that the Germans have
that same knowledge and are applying it as fast as
their engineering ability will permit.
During the period | constructing submarines
for Russia and Austria my technical Offices were in
Berlin and employed many German draushtsmen
and engineers. | those years called into con-
sultation by Krupps, who then built the first German
U-boats. was also consulted by the German Ministry
of Marine, and they are familiar with my plans as
developed at that time There is nothing fundamental
y that they have applied in the st of submarine
construction since that time, as far as | am aware;
they have simply improved details regarding machinery
increased the size and radius of action of their
boats, etc.
The Germans arc, however, ahead of most other
nations IN their submarines. because they took their