Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-31
NAVY ENGAGED IN
CONVOY SERVICE
Huge Fleets of Merchant Ships
Being Taken Thru Atlantic
Submarine Zone.
U-B0AT PROBLEM SOLVING
Government Believes Allies
Soon Will Not Be Worried
by Germans at Sea.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30--American
naval forces are conveying merchant
craft across the Atlantic. II was dis
closed officially today at the navy de-
partment, and examination OF tho
records shows that the loss OF con-
Noyed ships by submarines has
averaged less than one-half OF l per
cent
Details OF the convoy system ar.
withheld. IL was stated however. that
American war vessels are regularly
escorting fleets OF British. French or
other allied merchantment across. tho
protection being supplemented when
the danger zone is reached by the
destroyers and other patrol craft
Effective system Being Built.
American naval officials believe
that an effective system for checking
the submarine menace is being built
up gradually. but certainly. Many
devices and many methods enter into
the task. Among other things depth
bombs are proving effective. Official
reports indicate that American ue-
stroyers have accounted for several
U-boats with these weapons. No an
nouncement OF such incidents will be
made. however. unless absolute PROOF
OF the fact is available.
No U-boat has been captured by the
Americans II is the best Judgment
OF high officials, however, that sew
eral have been sunk by Admiral Sims
destroyers and they are confident to-
day. more confident than ever before.
that tho submarine menace Will be
substantially abated as the number
of destroy ers and other craft avail
able for the work is increased.
Must Stay Under Water.
The effect OF the increasing patrol,
OF the employment OF airplanes and
OF the addition OF new devices TO tho
weapons, has been TO
force the U-boats under water to
greater and greater degree. Their ef-
fectiveness is limited in proportion.
They cannot run down a merchant
ship of average speed IL kept under
water. They can operate only against
ships that almost stumble upon them.
And at the time they are under water
they are consuming the stored power
OF their storage batteries, decreasing
their range OF underwater action and
compelling them to come up at night
and lie idle on the surface while their
oil engines are used TO recharge the
batteries.
-Noh' DNN'OsttN
The decision OF the navy depart
ment TO spend s350. 100000 on new
destroyers and destroyer building ia
cilities. approved yesterday by Presi-
dent Wilson, is based on the effective-
ness OF the swift fighting machines
as proven by Admiral Sims forces.
Every effort to speed the new pro-
gram as well as the old will be made
and during the next year the Ameri-
can destroyer force In European
waters probably can be more than
doubled Destroyers now under con-
struction are being rushed to COM
pletion and reports on progress are
satisfactory.
American experts have developed
a depth bomb for use against sub
marines that is deadly at consid-
cradle range The bomb containing
high explosive is dropped from de-
stroyer over a spot where the presence
of submarine is indicated. IL is
timed TO explode at certain depth.
II the explosion occurs below tho
U-boat and within n reasonable dis
tance the hull OF the underwater craft
cannot withstand the pressure. but is
crushed like an egg shell.
Signs OF the destruction I'm this way
appear on the surface in the shape
of oil from upturned fuel tanks. bits
of floating wreckage and the like.
This is all that is ever heard OF the
U-boat II is very difficult. therefore.
to be certain OF u hit. as the Ger
mans on more than one occasion have
released oil purposely. turned loose
wreckage prepared in advance. and
done everything else possible to create
the impression that a boat had been
sunk