The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-11-01
new DEVICES CUT
TOLL OF U-BOATS
Admiral Benson Tells Of Meth
DDS Adopted to Foil
Submarines.
EDISON INVENTION IN USE
Smoke Bombs and smoks Screens
Are Proving EHeetive--camou.
hsse Employed to surpris.
ing Extent

Washington. 80 An encouraging ac-
cOunt Of the success u the devices
being used by American ships as
means of escaping or destroying Ger.
man submarines is given hy Admiral
Benson. chief ~ operations of the navy
Several u the methods under trial at
present. one OF them the invention 70
Thomns A. Edison. the admiral rrguri-
ed as inadvisuhie % describe hut he
discussed without reserve the dcy..e>
In general use ou merchant ships and
naval vessels.
II WAS admitted that the naval con.
voy furnished the most effective safe.
guard against the submarine. Admiral
Benson thought that the number off
conveyed ships sunk was even less
than the averogr up to month ago.
when Il was estimated that only one
half ~ I per cent fell victim 10 the
submarine. The impussihliity " con.
voying more than a small pcr cent II
the merchant fleet leaving American
shores. however has made necessary
the adoption OF other protective meas
ures.
Devices Employed.
Among those most Ia use on mer.
chant ships. the admiral said. were
-smoke bombs" and smoke screens.
Camounagc also q being employed o.
surprising extent. hut particularly
on naval vessels The smoke bombs
are merely containers flied with chem
lcals which when east overheard
throw ofI u dense black smoke. ohscur'
log the ship from an attacking suoma'
rlne.
A great variety ~ experiments IN
camuunagc have been tried on naval
vessels. They have been painted eN'
cry hue ~ the rainhow that might
tend 10 merge the ship In IT, back
ground and make Il lndlstinguishnbls
10 investigating periscopes. Admiral
Renson said many ~ these devices has
been demonstrated 10 be of ereal
merit. warShlps. too. are eQuippe'
with deteciors which Indicate the pr"N
Unity ~ other ships.
More aud more ~ the mefchan
Shlrs. of course. are being armed :" ~
Co he able ~ give eu"d account I"
themselves la encounters WIN tn'
rh.ats. aud experiments consinnu'
ar, going on In ihe navy 10 inipr"N'
the weapons of onense employ -
rrnin.f the submarine. special en
d,.x.r l. being made 20 perfect ih
oneratIon Of depth charges 80 ihat :
MAJ he passihle more frequently 1
-pot" the T-hnats us they suhihr'-
or a. ihcy run along With only 'he'
periscopcs shaving.
nnnoons are employed on the Shlp
for observation purposes. but thelr us
is not NJ all new.
II was said today. In eon'fahi'n"
Of a recent interesting story ihat y
invention had been perfected IA w
rni,ea Suntcs navy which would "a
able an attacked ship to deh'et W
c,urse ~ torpc.lo once Il was hrr'
This report. accor,lne iu Admiral he'
son. had no foundation whatever
- Bigger 3yemafines.
Another report which has been NAL
tns M. rounds b. that German ~n'
marine. recently hnve heen making
+, nraetlce III -parins all pas>ens'
shlps thcy encounter. The only has
for ,hls belief. Il sas said, Is the i"'
thst fewer lsissenprr ships have n'e
sunk. They have h,cn a'iaeks'l nov
ever. hut IN most cas's have es''lea
There have been no German submit
hnes near the Amrrlcau ceasi sih'
this nation entered the war' :" Tar
he navy department has learned
suhmnrine has hcen sighted nearly
mld.Ailanuc. hut that l. the neate
approach one j. known 10 have n'"a'
rhs navy department has e''dsn'
that germany l. increasing the sire
her submarines nearly 10 the pr"ie
zion II small cruisers. fhis eNiaeh
Was obtained by ocular observation
mart. and also from the fact that u
submarines noW are mounting guns
nearly slx Inches In bore. ffas'ien
~ shells falling on merchant Al
q -