Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-04-05


coast defense batteries and, within
their field of fire, the mines, are in
charge Of the military arm. But the
long sweeps OF coast line between
forts are patrolled and controlled by
the navy and in this field we are
fortunate in having a large fleet OF
motor boats In the sport OF motor
boating we have been pre-eminent-
both in the boats themselves and IN
the qualities OF the men who handle
them Here the navy finds a ready
made force that will require no more
training than JacskOns squirrel
shooters needed at New Orleans-and
one that will be equally efilcientl
OF course small motor craft cannot
fight large submarines acting as sur
face vessels. But such craft can
locate the periscope of submerged
under-sea boat and when that peri
scope is once located there is nothing
left for It's boat to do but to get deep
under the water and stay there. Even
then her bubbles will probably betray
her course and as long as the motor
boat can hang on the trail. the sub
marine is blind and helpless. The
number of hours she can run sub
merged is, of course, decidedly
limited.
The Deutschland or the U-53 can
make perhaps not over a hundred
miles without coming 10 the surface
and that is a most uncomfortable
place for a submarine with a reso'
Lutte man firing a three-pounder.
The navy's next duty is the pro-
lection of commerce. We need gun
pointers-and almost all other class
es OF men on our ships today-yet We
u must manage TO spare some or oul
best to take charge OF the gunl
which are going on our merchan
liners.
II is unlikely that conveying Of
merchant vessels will be undertaken
Conveying should be done by light
swift. handy vessels OF the destroyer
class. Our feet is deficient in YES
sells OF this type, and what we have
will undoubtedly be kept with the
! battle feet. which must have an out
lying screen against submarine at
tack.
Patrol duty not only along the
coast. but on the high seas will be
undertaken by the navy TO protect
against an occasional raider which
may get on the trade routes. So oui
fast cruisers-what few we have
have their Jobs cut out for them A
definite alliance with the allied ma
tions will result in the United states
navy taking over the work of British
and French cruisers along the Allan
tic coast and releasing these vessel
for other work on the European side
I Further than this we probably vii
not 20 at present. Our heavy vessel
with their attendants. and the vessel
OF the train, will be modified in SOM
well-denned strategic harbor, There
: they must wait the call to action. TIL
war may be ended before the fleet
j. day comes. or the developments ma
i call for us 10 send abroad an exped
o tionary military force. If so, we wi
? see the navy doing on larger seal
o what Il did so well of the south coas
OF Cuba in 1898. We will see all {
G our available merchant ships forme
e into a compact fleet and headed fC
I Europe. surrounded by screen {
Il ships Of various classes capable {
destroying any submarine that migl
! appear.
So. too. II is conceivable that N
5 tactics we so successfully followed I
= Santiago may not avail. Perhaps II
: time will come when our navy and II
Il ships of the Allies will go in and fin
g and destroy the enemy vessels. IL s
9 we shall need and we believe we sha
! find, another Dewey. For howevl
4 varied or however difficult may be u
J. tasks our navy is called on 10 perforI
z our people know that never once HI
the navy failed to do more than va
! asked or expected OF IL. There is NJ
! one page of our naval history tn
I, needs TO be altered from the exa
truth in order TO make It pleasant rea
:. ing for the patriotic schoolboy.