New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-14
All Building Plans Are
Aimed to Combat
Submarines
u. S. to Triple
Destroyer Fleet
Navy Department Optimistic,
but IFS" Enter Into
Its Plans
By G. w. Gilbert


WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. - Great
Britain and the United States are ex-
device which is said to be more promis-
ing than any Of its predecessors. The
nature of the invention is not dis
closed, but even representatives OF the
British government, who have been dis
appointed often in the past and who
are naturally less optimistic than our
own navy men, are hopeful. In addi-
tion, the convoy system is being ex-
tended and is still proving successful,
which probably accounts for the reduc-
tion in losses announced this week.
All in all, the submarine situation is
believed to be better in hand than at
any previous time. Or, TO put it an
other way, the defence against U-boat
attack has more than kept pace with
the improvements in U-boats them
selves. The recent dispatches from
London calling attention 20 the gravity
of the submarine situation, such as Mr..
Draper's in The Tribune yesterday, are
supposed here to refer rather TO the
exhaustion of the Allies resulting from
U-boat destruction of merchantmen
than to the success of the U-boat at
the present time.
No Definite Strategy
This country is, however, still as far
away as ever from having worked out
an effective anti-U-boat strategy. The
naval offensive remains talk, and
/ chiefly talk, of aggressive spirits who
! haven't the power to carry out their
ideas. But after nearly six months Of
war we are approaching a naval build
/ ing programme which is aimed efec-
lively at the submarine.
/ The Navy Department disclosed its
! destroyer plans to-day. 1t is not per-
missibe to make known the exact
number of submarines built, building
and in contemplation. But this may
/ be said: We have building and under
contract more destroyers than We now
| have afloat.
; And the additional construction pro-
! gramme, which depends upon the pass
age of the s35O,OOO,OOO appropriation
I bill now before Congress, will add fur
ther to our fleet about twice as many
destroyers as we now have afoat.
The total will be large fleet With
regard to the time to be taken in
realizing it the Navy Department IS
very optimistic.
Tempered With "Ifs"
II is always optimistic, whether over
the number of U-boats sunk or over
the number of vessels that will be
available at any given time to night
them. It's optimism in this case ls
temnered with "ifs"-if the material
/ is available, If labor can be got, II
/ engines in sufficient number can be
provided. All those "ifs" apply &c
what follows.
With regard to ships under contract,
all the existing facilities of the coun-
try are engaged and, if hopes are
realized, within a year this country
will have rather more than twice as
MANY destroyers available as il has
now Many of these additional vessels
arc promised before the next peak
of submarine activity in Aprl! Is
reached. On these vessels con-
struction time of ten months is prom
ised, if the materials and labor are
to be found.
The additional programme for when
an appropriation is asked IS 10 be
compared to General Goethals's faorI-
Gated ship programme. 1t calls Tor
destroyers Of a single model, standard
lied ships. The facilities for their
construction will have 70 be provided
before the ships can be undertaken'
and not merely yards but plants, prot
ably to be erected on the Great Lakes,
for the manufacture of gears and tut-
bines.
II is over this equipment that the
greatest difficulty is being met, and as
in merchant ship building and IN air
plane engine building all -he ability
and experience Of the country is be
ing brought TO bear upon these prob
lens.
They are not yet entirely solved. On
these ships delivery is promised begin
ming nine months after contracts are
let. always with certain ifs" and ex-
tending till eighteen months after that
event. But the bill has not passed
Congress, the gear and turbine plants
have not been begun, yards have not
been located and II is too much TO ex-
pect an early delivery of these ships, in
spite of the optimistic, though some
what indefinite, statements of the Navy
Department.
The fault that is to be found
with the Navy Departments pro-
gramme is not with It's ex-
tent and thoroughness but with
the lateness OF its adoption. The
methods that have been applied TO ex-
tending our merchant ship building and
our aircraft building are being initiated
and adopted by the Navy Department;
Instead OF being the first in the held
with this sort of programme, it is the
last. although its task, building the one
kind Of vessel that was proving ef-
fective against the submarine, was
plain from the outset Of the war. Six
months after the war began the coun-
try is nearing the adoption Of sound
and satisfactory building programme.
The navy, which was in the nature
OF the case our most prepared arm OF
the government, is still preparing for
war. The idea OF making war is still
far from its thoughts.
GREAT BEAR SPRING wArEK-5Os