Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-31
l.y so.n'so 'au.s.. .-.e,., .....o WING,

II ' "or"'No ooNhAL SPECIAL LGAsHp WrRgl
/ washington, Aug. 3O.-American
naval forces are conveying merchant
craft across the Atlantic, it was dis
closed officially today at the navy de-.
partment, and examination of the rec.
ords shows that the loss of conveyed
ships by submarines averaged less
than one-half of one per cent, De-
talls OF the convoy system are with
held. 1t was stated, however. that
American war vessels are regularly es-
corting fleets or British, French or
other allied merchantmen, the pro.
lection being supplemented when the
| danger zone is reached.
System Is Effective.
American naval officials believe
mat an effective system for check
ing 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 eff
| fective. Official reports Indicate that
American destroyers have accounted
for several U-boats with these weap-
ons. No announcement of such Incl
dents VIII be mace, however, unless
absolute proof Of the fact is available.
Several Probably Sunk.
No U-boat has been captured by the
Americans. 1t is the best Judgment
OF high officials, however. that sew
eral have been sunk by Admiral Sims'
destroyers and they are confident that
the submarine menace, will be sub
stantally abated az the number of de-
stroyers and other crafts available
for the work is increased.
Reports from London that the sub.
marines are working farther at seal
than formerly were confirmed by the
navy department. II may be that new
boats of greater size and better sea-
keeping qualities lend to this extension
of the zone OF activities, but it In re.
garded as more probable that the in
creased vigilance of the anti-sub.
marine forces Is mainly responsible.
Must Stay Under Water.
The effect of the increasing patrol,
OF the employment of airplanes and
of the addition Of new devices to the
anti submarine weapons has been to
force the U-boats under water 10 a
greater degree. Their effectiveness is
limited In proportion. They cannot
run down merchant ships of average
speed IL kept under water They can
operate only against ships that almost
stumble upon them. And all the time
they are under water they are con-
suming the stored power of their stor-
age batteries, deereasingg their range
of under water 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.
Destroyer Fleet Needed. ~
The decision of the navy depart
ment to spend $350,000,0 900 on new
destroyers and destroyer ia
cilities, approved yesterday by Presi-
dent Wilson, is based on the effective
ness Of the swift fighting machines as
proved 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 construction
are being rushed to completion and
reports on progress are satisfactory.
American experts have developed a
depth bomb for use against subma-
rines that is deadly at considerable
range. The bomb containing high ex-
plosives, is dropped from a destroyer.
over a spot where the presence OF a
submarine is indicated. 1t is timed
to explode at a certain depth. II the
explosion occurs below the U-boat and
within a reasonable distance. the hull
Of the underwater craft cannot with
stand the pressure but is crushed like
an egg she'll.
Results Not Certain.
Signs of the destruction in this way
appear on the surface In the shape Of
oil from fuel tanks, bits of floating
wreckage and the like. 1t is difficult
to be certain of hit as the Germans
on more than one occasion have re-
leased oil purposely, turned loose
wreckage prepared in advance and
done everything else possible to create
the impression that a boat had been
sunk.
Airplanes are being used in conjunc-
ton with the destroyer work Of the
lallies along the French coast and III
the channel. This means of detecting
the nrasanca ne ali hu, q rim 90 xuil1 -