The daily Alaskan., 1917-03-29
1000 MOTOR CRAFT
 WILL GUARD J. s,
Navy Department Prepares 10 Build Patrol FIGGt.
DEADLIEST FOE. OF: u BOATS

Naval Expsrts Busy at oeslsnins Swift
 Vessels to Keep Watch on Our Coasts
 In WartIms--couId Be Built In Few
 Months-one Hundred Ready For In-
 mediate Service.
 The navy department has begun prepara tions for the building of mo torboat patrol fleet for defense against German U-boats that might cross the Atlantic to prey on shipping or to enter American harbors in search of battle ships.
 A. Loring Swasey of Swasey, Ray mond & Page, Boston ship architects, has been called to Washington, 1t was learned, to take charge of the con- structlon in private shipyards of motor patrol boats, to be equipped with fore and aft guns, wireless, searchlights and unique bombing devices.
 Simultaneously with the call of Mir. Swasey to Washington to take charge of this work, Admiral Knight has noti- fled the officers of the various civilian patrol squadrons, composed of private ly owned motorboats, to hold their men subject to call. There are 1,S00 power boats on the Atlantic coast enrolled i'll the civilian motorboat patrol OrganiZa- tions. Of these probably 100 could be armed and equipped for defensive work against submarines and be ready at short notice.
 One Thousand of tho Boats Needed,
 Yachtsmen estimate that not fewer than 1000 boats of a type of which only Q few exist in the United States today would be necessary for the proper patrol of the coast. In view or the speed with which patrol boats were built for England, 1t Is believed that the 1000 boats could be built in much less than year to substitute or sup plement the work against submarines that may have to be done in the first instance by private owned volunteer craft. The United States has now two types of patrol boats that were con- structed for test and as guide for yachtSmen. One of each type has been constructed, and both boats, one thirty five feet in length and the other sixty six, are capable of doing twenty-five to thirty miles an hour.
 While the government and motorboat men are preparing for defense against submarines. the question of netting the harbors has come to the front. A num- Der of navy experts deny that 1t Is es- sential to net the harbOrs against the possible invasion of submarines, while others insist that If one submarine should get into a harbor where a DOT tion of the Atlantic fleet Is lying the havoc would be tremendous, as each torpedo would count to the full. So far as can be learned, the navy depart ment is incliued to rely at the start in any case on protection by the patrol boats, though urged by civilian yachts men to proceed promptly with the prep aration of nets for all harbOrs likely to be freuucnted by any portion of the At- lantic fleet.
 Patrol Boat Most Effective.
 Patrol boats supplemented by nets, wire and bomb devices of various kinds have not been more than sufficient for England's protection against the sub marines. While the patrol boats that spread out in fanlike circle after a submarine has submerged for escape are the most effective instruments de- vised for submarine catching, 1t was learned from a reliable source that England a few weeks ago was celebrat- ing the destruction of the hundredth German submarine. This number IS great or small, according to ones point of view. Considered in the light Of the difficulties of tracking and mailing submarines, it would be large. But au- thorities in this country agree that Germany probably has now 300 su6ma- rines, of which many are of trans- atlantic type.
 The view is rather widely held that there Is not a great probability of Ger many attempting to raid American coasts, though it Is believed that she would in case of hostilities send sub- marines to attack the coastwise ship ping. Arthur F. Aldridge, editor or Rudder, in the course of recent dis cussion concerning the possibilities of our motorboat patrol, cited the fact that 550 patrol boats were built for England in 535 days. If the govern ment on the advice of Mir. Swasey should now proceed to build a stand ardized motorboat patrol It is believed that the several big shipyards equipped for such construction could beat this record and turn out 1000 boats in a few months.