The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-14
MORE THAN 10000
SUGGESTIONS MADE
TO COMBAT U-BOAIS
Naval Consulting Board Has Given
Careful Consideration of Every
idea Submitted.
AMERICAN DESTROYER
is FOUND BEST WEAPON
While Experience Has shown That
Ships of More Than f5-Knot Speed
Properly Handled Usually Escape
Undersea Craft.

Washington, Nov. 13--American
inventive genius has turned loose with
vengeance to combat the submarine
menace and more than forty thou
sand suggestions already have been
submitted to the naval consultinr
board. Many of them are directed
toward detecting. locating and de-
stroyfng the submarine before she
comes to the surface or before she
reaches her intended victim But
Secretary Daniels indicated that the
navy depends on torpedo boat destroy
er--swift and hexible--as the best
means OF making submarines ineffec-
tive.
Secretary Daniels today authorized
| statement OF the work Of the ma val
consulting board and the great num-
her of ideas given to the government
| 1t says:
Since the war was declared, the
naval consulting board has received
more than 10000 separate sugges-
tons. plans or models OF ingenious
devices for use by the navy depart
ment and representative OF the
thought of the inventive talent of the
country.
"A wide range OF citizens have thus
contributed from the country's dts
tinguished scientists and inventors, who
are aimost constantly at work for the
government. to the obscure plough
by whose Imagination has quickened
TO the idea OF meeting the emergency
and has fashioned mechanism from
wire and spools ard a whitfield stick
as token of his devotion.
All Carefully investigated.
"All OF the suggestions submitted
r II. -.
and those of merit have been brought
70 the attention OF the secretary OF
the navy Those ideas involving new
principles indicating careful thought
and study and submitted in concrete
form have been presented to the secre-
tary of the navy with full argument.
Many proposals have been found
! TO be fnapract lcaI, largely due TO the
failure cf .-ssfyss~ fY-veyye~rw rrcrerfy~ IN
/ inform themselves OF certain funda-
| mental principles However. much
| valuable aid has been given TO various
! branches OF the war service.
: The predominating thought OF in
vvtors has turned on methods 10
I combat the menace Of the enemy sub
marine and more than two-thtrds of
all the suggestions received by the
I naval consulting board have concern
/ ed this problem.
| : Thought on Submarine nefense-
/ THE thought on submarine defense
may he aubdivided as follows:
| "GA. Methods 10 accomplish the
destruction OF submarines. involving
detection and destruction after detec-
ton.
| "(21. Means of avoiding sub
! marine attack. involving instructions
FOR merchant vessels. proper handling
/ Co. ,aty q
/ and boxes and other confidential In
/ forum ton known to our naval authorf-
ties,
"fss. Protection Of ships against
torpedo hits
The idea that the submarine will
be overcome by n miraculous inven-
/ tion Is not now seriously considered
| The more Intimate knowledge the
civilian obtains on this subject the
more convinced he Is that the sub
marines can he conquered by persist
emily hunting him aown ny the weapon
OF which he is most afraid. This Is
/ the armed service boat, equipped With
all OF the latest scientific devices and
sypieed In the modern torpedo boat
DESTROYER Foreign naval authorities
have frankly stated their admiration
of the degree OF perfection of Ameri-
/ can designs
/ Speed and Mnneuvcrfng Count.
| TN regard to the protection OF ships
! AGAINST torpedo attack the undesirable
evidence OF recent months of sub
mss me activity has demonstrated
that the Immunity OF a vessel depends
! very largely on its speed and maneu'
verinr ability II is significant thai
the percentage of vessels having speed
Of 15-knots or more which have sui
! ferea from submarine attack is yer,
small. while the losses Of slow vessels
| ff~opttrued m Second Pagel