Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-23
EFFECIlvE. STEPS TAKEN
AGAINST SUBMARINES
Campaign Loses Frightfulness, So
Far fs Movement OF Troops and
Supplies Is Concerned.
:EFFEcTED BY FOUR THINGS
Observation Balloons, Smoke Bombs,
Perfect System of Conveying Ships,
and Aiming and Manning Them
Results in Safe Trips.

!
WASHINGTON. September o2.-Ger.
smany's submarine campaign has lost
tits frightfulness, so far as the move
mont OF troops and supplies from the
united States to Europe are concerned.
This is accounted for mainly by the
employment of these four things:
q Observation balloons on transports
and other vessels.
Smoke bombs.
II Perfect system of conveying ships.
II Aiming vessels and manning them
with competent crews.
y Admiral Benson. chief Of operations.
to-day strongly indicated that fear OF
tho Teutonic undersca boats had been
dissipated. Continual crossing OF the
Atlantic by troop ships. passenger ves-
sells and others has demonstrated that
the German submarine sea terror will
not attack when the steamships are
we'll conveyed. He said the Germans
had extended their operations, so that
now the submarines had been reported
as far out as the thirtieth meridian
or the Azores, or approximately half
way across the ocean. But practically
none Will approach conveyed vessel,
and the possibility of any attack on
this country was put at a minimum.
= Germany has been increasing her
submarines, both in numbers and size.
but the department has not yet had
any definite information that there is
any considerable number OF the sup
posed dread type of the U-boat. 400
or 500 feet In length. In none OF the
engagements has there been reported
any submarine of remarkable size, al
though the Navy Department considers
It perfectly logical that the length Of
these vessels naturally Will increase
with their popularity.
But the attacks on transatlantic
ships has dropped off. Tho smoke
bombs have been big feature in de-
terring the attacks. Admiral Benson
gave the opinion that the greatest and
most effective deterrent Of all were the
system Of conveying and the fact that
nearly every vessel to-day is armed
and manned with an excellent gun
crew. In addition. the captive observa-
tion balloon Is now carried on most or
the vessels. BY means of these. the
ship may keep an excellent watch for
the submarine terror. Submarines may
be seen as far as fifty feet below the
surface Of the ocean. and the balloon
crows nest has been unusually etfec-
tive not only in discerning the sub
marines. but also In directing tho
Airing.
Admiral Benson said the department
had no definite information OF the num-
Der of submarines that had been sunk
by United States ships; none has been
captured.
The smoke box" a device to be
thrown overheard from n vessei when
a submarine appears. has proved high
~ successful in some cases. 4 great
smoke rises instantly when tho chem
icals in the box come in contact with
the water. and under the screen Gro
ated, the vessel has opportunity TO
change her course and elude the
U-boat.
Experimenting continues with many
other devices. Thomas A. Edison Is
still at work on investigation to which
he devoted himself at the outbreak ci
war. Even without the discovery OF
any new implement for use against the
U-boats, the diminishing rate OF de.
struction of merchant craft impresses
many officials as showing that the sub
marine menace team be hold In cllccl
sufficiently TO make certain th,. ulti
mate defeat Of Germany.