Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-16
NAVY LEAGUE FINDS REASON
FOR DECREASE IN u.RoAT
EFFECTIVENESS.
TORPEDO DETERIoRATEs
IN SPEED AND ACCURACY
Hasty Manufacture Results in Poor
Product, Increased Subm arine Ac-
Invites Taxing Producing Plants Be-
You'd Reasonable Limits-Prcduction
Of Torpedoes Believed insufficient.

Washington, July 16-There is rea-
supply is weakening, says a statement
issued at the navy league headquarters
today.
The increasing frequency with which
press dispatches report merchant ships
as successfully lodging German tor
pedoes. says the statement, suggests to
the technically trained mind that the
German torpedo is deteriorating in
speed and, hence. in accuracy of fire
at long range.
At the outset, the statement con-
tinues,, the Germans were extremely
careful to conserve their torpedoes.
Merchant ships were sunk by gunfire
wherever possible. But the arming of
merchant ships and the constant i'm
provement in the allies system Of de-
Tense against submarine attack has
driven the submarines under water,
and they are now forced to use tor
pedoes in almost every attack. The
increase in the number Of submarines
has further added to the strain upon
the German stock of torpedoes.
Shakes U-eoat Effectiveness.
An analysis of reports on submarine
attacks now indicates that this unpre-
cedented expenditure of torpedoes is
beginning to tell upon the effectiveness
of the U-boat warfare. The Germans
are pressing their submarine campaign
with all possible vigor and the number
of attacks on merchant ships appears
n no ipn No of nh
marine operations is constantly widen
ing. Yet this increased fury with
which the U-boat warfare is being
waged has failed to increase the num-
Der of merchant ships sunk. The Ger
mans apparently are being forced to
constantly greater efforts to maintain
their average of sinkings. and even so.
are slipping back slightly.
The explanation of this offered by
certain naval experts is that the Ger
mans are being so pressed for time in
the construction of torpedoes that they
can no longer maintain their speed and
their accuracy of fire. 1t is estimated
that the German torpedo has lost
nearly ten knots In speed from the
standard torpedo used at the outset Of
the war. 49,.
II takes normally six months to con-
struct a torpedo, and costs many
Thousand dollars. There is also chance
of Germany running short in some ma
terial essential in their manufacture.
Whether this has occurred is not known
but the conclusions has been reached
that the individual German torpedo is
losing in efficiency. y
Torpedo Production insufficient.s
The U-boat warfare, as now being
waged, it is said, was undoubtedly not
thought out and prepared for by Gef-
many before the war. Therefore the
stock of torpedoes was not sufficient
for the purpose. The deficiency has.
been made up by increasing the output
Of torpedoes. But. with the tremendous
land operations she has essayed. Ger
many could not have devoted max
imum Of labor or materials to the max
ing of torpedoes. Had she done this,
1t is not doubted she could have kept
up the supply. But sacrifices In the
torpedo supply were made to satisfy the
folly of the crown prince at Verdun.
Naval experts are rightly continuing
to stress the vital Importance of at
tempting to destroy the power OF the
submarines by some new development
in naval strategy. No degree Of de-
terioration in the effectiveness of Ger
man torpedo attacks would lessen these
efforts at effective warfare against the
submarines. Yet the interest Of naval
experts has been attracted by this re-
cent record Of performance Of the Ger
man torpedoes. They are wondering
whether Germany can stand much
longer the strain Of this staggering ex-
penditure Of torpedoes.