Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-06-27
inventors Strive for Means to Rid
Sea of Menace to
Shipping.
EARLY ACTION IN AMERICA
Thousands OF Letters Received by
Boards of Inventions in England
and United States but Few
Practical Ideas Advanced.

London.-The New York Herald's
hawai- correspondent writes:
A development Of the war which viii
receive special attention from the his
torian is that which is connected with
the mobiiizing OF inventions for fight
Ing purposes In Germany science was
harnessed to the Moloch of destrue-
ton before hostilities began. and all
the resources of technical knowledge
were brought TO bear for the purpose
Of devlsing new methods of killing. It
was the use by the Huns of poison gas
and similar contriyances which awak-
ened the allies TO the necessity for
mobilizlng inventions and the imagi-
native enterprise of thoughtful men
and painstaking investigators
AS a result there were established
in France and England boards of in
vention connected with the naval and
military departments. for the exami-
nation and trial Of such plans and pro-
posalS as seemed to be of value. By
these measures the flow of invention
was directed to channels from which
1t was hoped might issue provision
OF new weapons and new kinds Of mu-
nitions helpful to the forces by land
and sea.
Early Action by America.
With ready forethought America.
while yet at peace. provided her own
bureau of invention. She should be-
therefore. more ready TO utilize her
natural Inventive genius now that she
has become participant In the war.
II is comparatively easy to find men
Of expert judgment and experience 10
inquire into or advise upon the feas-
Utility Of schemes and proposals, many
Of which are only rough hewn but may
contain the germ Of improvements
but what IS less simple is TO detach
aud detail the right kind OF officers
from the naval and military services to
carry forward the work OF experiment
and investigation to a point of useful
ness.
Just at present the attention Of In
ventors is directed particularly toward
finding an antidote for the submarine.
II is said that the consulting board Of
the United States navy received In one
week more than two thousand letters,
each continuing what the writer be-
lievei TO be a solution of the subma-
rine menace. How many letters the
British board OF inventions has re-
ceivad on this subject has not been
made public, and vet IL Is manifest that
no device has been discovered the prac-
teal application of which Is an assured
success. The explanation Of this IN
satisfactory state Of affairs seems to
rest mainly In the Inability Of the in
ventor 10 grasp rightly the factors In /
the problem.
The principal obstacle - effective ,
dealing with the U-boat is rs invisible /
itg. It's quality of submersion for a (
considerable length Of time. during I
which Ii can travel comparatively long
distances under water ard change Its +
position without discovery bv the
watchers on the surface. II Is true
that il must come UP at times 70 re- 1
large Its electric accumulators or 70 1
give its crew fresh air II must more .
often put its periscupe above water. +
and the circumstances Ia which IT'S at I
tack is made may obllge II 70 emerge (
for the purpose OF bringing Its gun into
action.
The Real Solution.
Ia these conditions 1t may be treated .
as surface boat, and proposals for
dealing with IL. whether from the air
or the sea. have already attained a
high degree OF efficiency. Again.
where the U-boat is forced 10 operate
or 70 reach the scene OF It's activity
through narrow channels or construct
ed waters, the value Of nets and mines
as deterrent has, as official records
show. been proved up to point.
Nevertheless to overcome the sub
marine, II Is not sufficient 70 be able to
obStruct its passage in certain limited
areas, or merely 70 be prepared 10 deaf,