Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-04

WASH INCiTON. MAJ I.
Naval officials who are following closely
4 the development of the German submarine
menace taking the position thar the
present plan for wooden ships will rot in
itself solve the problem of preventing starry
alton of the Allies. They believe that
the vessels planned will he too slow And
they base this belief on the recent siu,iug
of the Vacuum and the Rockingham. both
slow craft. In each instance the armed
crew was worthless for the defense. smply
because there was no chance to u" the
guns.
The wooden fleet is planned TO have a
speed of ten knots an hour. The present
type OF German submarine can make at
least eleven knots an hour submerged and
can maintain that speed for an hour and
half then it must come to the surface
to recharge batteries The sinking Of the
Vacuum and the Rockingham, IT IL now
believed here. was due to the fact that the
submarine came to the surface well Of from
them. possibly ten miles and took complete
observation of their courses. speed etc.
Then submerging. the submarines ira yeled
certain distance, took another look. ver-
fled the observation and submerged again.
1t was then just question of steering by
the compass and when at the proper angles
taking brief glances through the periacopes
and disCharging. tn" torpedoeS in perfect
safety from the gun crews.
FOR FASTER SHIPS
The naval officials who are investigating /
the submarine problem are convinced that f,
the way to defeat the menace is to utilize ,
in the transOcean traffic all fast vessels |
available and to divert into their places !
in the coastwise and South American traf-
1c the slow vessels and the first of the I
wooden ships to be built. The placing into /
service of the seized German and Austrian
vessels most Of which will be ready in four
months, will greatly aid in solving the
problem.
1t is expected that suggestions now he.
ing worked out by various experts viii be-
submitted TO the shipping board and the
strategy experts Of the navy very soon [
These suggestions, made entirely with
view to multiplying SO far as possible tn
submarine menace will provide
First That an embargo be placed
on all food going to neutral countries.
especially Norway, Sweden, Denmark
and Holland, only sufficient amour.
be permitted to be sent there to serve
Sheir own people. It already has been
proved that much Of the food sent to
Scandinavia even under present re-
strictions gets to Germany.
4, Second. Send no ships to England
that cannot make at least thirteen
knots.
Third. Spread out the trade routes
as much as possible and divert the
slower vessels to French and Italian
ports.
Fourth. Utilize all slow ships for our
.coaStWlSe, south Atlantic and Pacific |
trade and use every vessel of that kind
that now can make fifteen knots in
the European trade
Flfth. Put all large merchant vessels
III command Of naval officers or at ,
least make the naval officer supreme IN
command, with full authority 10 ACT
within the danger zone. ,
Sixth. Change the engine pIaus nf
the standardized wooden ships To nro-
vide for them to make at least fourteen !
Knots.
FASH SHIPS SAFER .
1t is pointed out that while the slibu,a. ,
ines have been increasing their toll of VIC
inns exam nation of the register shows that ,
every vessel that they get is n
low one. The biggest ships. and all other
hat can do SO, take zig2ag course through
he danger zone, playing hide and seek as
nuch as possible with the submarines If
he submarine * submerged the vessel can
ct away. If il is on the surface ard the
essel is armed it can take care of itself
u course, the submarines once in a while
ct fast ship and a big one but. as Off
als point out, that is part of the game I
nd hardly can be prevented. q