Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-06
Successful Experiments on
Atlantic Coast Basis
for Reassuring An
nOunceHlent.

NEW YORK. May w. l.. Saunders,
chairman OF the Navai Consulting
Board. announced here to-day that The
board had forwarded 10 Washington
plans for dealing with the submarine
problem. which, it was believed. had
solved the problem successfully
Mr.. Saunders. who has been chairman
Of the Naval Consulting Board about
two months. supplcmcnted' his
nouncement by saying that while the
submarine problem cannot b con-
sidcrcd in reality to have been solved
until the C-boats have been destroyed.
nevertheless. numerous experiments
had been made along the Atlantic oast
with highly cncouraging results. which
led the board to feel confident that Il
successful solution had been reached.
1T looks as though, the submarine
problem has been solved" Mr.. Saunders
sal" not only in the ordinary. but ON
the strength OF practical tests on the
Atlantic coast
Mr.. Saunders added that 500 inVcn-
tions for u-boat suppression had been
submitted for consideration Of the
board, and experiments with many of
them justified. he believed. the asscr-
tion that plan had been found by
which the submarine peril could be
eliminated
Mr.. Saunders was unwilling to go
into further details Of the boards cX-
periments. all data on the subject hay
ing been forwarded to Washington. but
he said the public had right to hc
informed OF the progress made toward
nullifying the dcprcdatiuns of the Ger
man undcrsea craft
Mr. Saunders, in talking lo a group
OF newspaper men, emphasized that.
inasmuch as he was no, disclosing
details Of the naval boards rccommen-
dations To the governments the state
mcntS he made We're not IN litary in
formation. and would be Of no informa-
tive value 10 the German government.
1t rs the boards opinion that IL cope
successfully with the submarine prob
lem, Mr.. Saunders said. aggressive war
fare must be carried on in the cnemy's
territory. This included. in the boards
belief, he declared naval operations in
the North Sea with destroyArs sub
marine chascr:, airpiancs. nets and
mines. COT -ordinators with devices To
destroy submarines which the board
has Experimental with and approved
Mr.. Saunders said the plan suggested
10 the government involved the poSsi-
bility OF land operations. Without
committing himself definitely ON this
point. the scheme he indicated included
a military offensive against the Kicl
Canal. which would call for the trans
porta,ion and landing Of an army
against this important German water
way German naval concentration
points generally would he objective
points in this suggested joint method
OF naval and land operations.
Srrnu I,svrt,,,
UPON ACTUAL TESTS
The plan submitted to the govern
mcnt. Mr.. Saunders asserted. was not
based upon theory. sketches or de-
signs, but upon actual tests, which
have proved encouraging
The use Of electricity is involved i'm
portantly in tho whole idea Of an Of
fcnsivc.
The naval operations would. under
the plan. be directed toward hottling
up the North Sea as effectively as Great
Britain has blocked the English
Channel.
Mr. Saunders alluded to the north
gateway Of tho North Sea AS Ciermany's
hornet nest" or rat hole" for sub
marines. and that this nest" must be
hieckadcd and penetrated. and its
u-boats inmates destroyed. and Ger
man naval bases also dealt with crec-
lively.
The Naval Consulting Board believed
sufficiently in what had been discovered
and planned. h" said TO feel justified
in notifying III" people that the sub
marine fear nigh, he allaycd The
project now before the government
could lie carried out within a reason
ably short time" he sail