The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-03-01
ltaly's Operations Against Sub
marine Menace Is Clue TO
Allied Methods.
DIRIGIBLEs AS SEA SCOUTS
All Ports Protected by NettIng--MIne
sweepers Win Little Glory and
Lose Publicity, but Are Most
important Factor.
81 EDGAR ANsEL MowRER.

WiPDi eaHt FhCtoFs
BY EDGAR ANsEL MoWRER.
Correspondence Of the Chicago Dali,
News.)
italian Coast.--What can the allies
do against the submarine menace? A
great deal In such small landlocked
waters as the Adriatlc, the Aegean
and the Tyrrhenian seas, less In the
open Atlantic. But in the Adriatic
particularly many devices can be prof
itably employed. The most important
OF these is doubtless the wire subma-
rine net All ports are now protected
| by netting which can be opened and
shut to permit the passage Of ships.
Hence submarines have become chary
OF entering an enemy port, preferring
to walt just outside or block the chan
mel by row of mines. In consequence
mine sweepers have become neces-
slty and hardly port but harbors
fleet Of them. These small ships,
which often fall victim to their task,
becoming aware Of mine only as
their keel strikes 1t and amid the
thunder OF death, win little glory and
less publicity. They are among the
enchanted humble, the housemaids of
naval warfare.
All ships that pass floating mines on
the high seas shoot at them and sink
them, sometimes by rifle fire, more Of |
ten by gun fire.
'The invention of nets against sub
ms ri
due to the British admiralty which |
not long ago, after several months OF
toilful silence, celebrated the certain
sinking Of the Tooth enemy submarine
shared In the tolls. These nets are
most Ingenious and formidable"
"Drlfters" Hold the Meta.
The nets are towed through the wa
ter by small steam fishing boats known
as drifters. Great Britain has already
more than 100000 fishermen
with at least 5000 ships.
Some hundreds of these drifters
have been loaned to Italy. Each drift
pr drags out and places a section Of
net some 1000 meters long, for which
{ IL responsible. A submarine strikes
! piece of net like some blind night
lying beetle. The nearest drlfters wait
certain time to see II the submarine
8 prepared to come to the surface and
If not bomb is dropped
nto the dim thickness of water. There
8 choked report, disturbance In
he waves and then all is quiet. Sub
marine and net have disappeared. And
proudly the successful drifter, return ,
ng homeward with or without prison !
RS, holsts TO the masthead the black
mister flag of the pirate, the ancient
ymbol of good catch. Every drifter c
) moreover armed with little guns at
TEN and stern, wireless apparatus
nd a megaphone, through which the
ardy sailors, the same who manned
he ship In time of peace, call back and
orth to each other.
Already the number of submarines t,
unk In the Adrlatic is not small. e
Humble Fishermen Lose Lives. d
But" continues Sig. Giordani, at Ii
oes not always happen In this way. b
he torpedo boat that inspects this Il
range guard notices an open door, a Ii
rolSen ring In the chain. No matter.
mother drifter takes the place of the s
ne swallowed by the waves and the Ell
lain is again closed the shackles of b,
nbush again assured" The drifters W
re offered In sacrifice TO the sea and t
he submarine that great ships may q
lss safely where they will. The hum m
e fishermen of the coast still look to al
.e dominion Of the sens. dl
Next to the patient net throwing W
litter the most picturesque weapon Is OF
e armed motorhoat These fast fly FIJI
S have the advantage Of greater ki
hey are so small that they are not e6
orth a torpedo and draw SO little wa w
r Il would be almost impossible to M
rpedo them. Back and forth. the
Myth and breadth Of the patrol, day
ID night, In all weathers these dimi- IN
tive knightS-erraut cruise In search SO
the submarlne-the sea serpent Of I'M
rror and death IN
Motorboats Chase Submarines. hil
The first fleet was formed OF fast
,uSure launches, Communicated and sh
rned 20 a use for which they were In
yer made, More recently larger no
ster, more comfortable and sea thu
,rthy steel motorboats, painted lead 4
or and in appearance not unlike gu
jmarlues, were built and armed by TIL
, government Boats OF this type ca
Try guns, machine guns, torpedoes, Spl
4 occasionally bombs. For weeks
y cruise and watch in vain and the
N, perchance, their patience and wit
iurance are repaid-an Austrian an,
marine trying to run IN close for a ing
at the big ships slips to the bot, sin
q OF the gray sea. wa
The life Of those who remain at sea "
such little ships in all weathers Is hot
} OF abnegation and discomfort. Wit
.arger than motOrboats, cruisers, W
troyers and torpedo boats aid in Coz
submarine hunt. And OF these tor. tina
10 boats are the most useful. To wol
q truth obvious TO any student Of 9th
'al tactics the Italians have found tim
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