The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-05-09
U-BOAT PROBLEM
NOT YET SOLVED

Washington, May 8.-Advices from
the naval consulting board concern
ing progress made toward finding
solution for the submarine menace,
referred to in New York by Chair
man w. L. Sanders, of the board,
had not reached the navy department.,
Secretary Daniels said that while no
Information would be made public as
to the nature of experiments which
have been in progress, he was salts
fed that American ingenuity event
ually would check the undersea craft
Mr. Daniels spoke, however, with
out knowledge of the specific devices
with which the members of the con-
ultings board have been experiment.
ing and his confidence was based
wholly upon the record for mechani-
cal inventiveness which American en-
gineers and scientists have maintain
ed for years
Clearing Up Misapprehension
A telegram to the Associated Press
from Lawrence Addicks, of Elizabeth,
N. J., chairman of the special naval
problems committee of the consulting
board, served to clear up some mis-
apprehensions concerning Mr.. Saun-
ders' statements yesterday. The mes
sage follows:
Il fear some of the statements in
the morning papers regarding the ma
val consulting board may unwitting1y
give wrong impressions regarding
progress made in combating the
submarine menace and that conc1u-
sions are likely to be drawn that the
problem has been either fully solved
or given up as hopeless.
while it is evident that specific
information as to progress made
would be contrary to public policy
at this time, as chairman of the com
mittee of the board dealing specifcal-
ly with the submarine menace [ feel
justified in saying that good and sat
istactory progress has been made and
that we have now under practical trial
some novel devices of great promise.
This committee was formed at the
time of the break with Germany to
take over ali problems relating to the
detection and destruction Of subma-
rines and the defeat of the torpedo
and has under its direction the va
rious experimental stations devoted
to this work.
In addition to this Mr. Edison is
separately conducting a line of ex-
periments in his own laboratory. re-
garding results of which am not
qualified to speak"
Efforts are Redoubled
Mr.. Addick's statement confirms
the understanding officials of the de-
partment have had of the progress
being made by the inventors. They
nave been at work for months on va
rious research studies and since the
declaration of a state of war with
Germany have redoubled their efforts
to ind a way to cope with the u
boat menace
In many instances naval experts
have been called into consultation bv
the board members or have aided in
direct experiments. Every precau-
ton has been taken by the depart
ment, however, to prevent any know
ledge OF the nature of the expert
ments from becoming public. That
policy will be pursued.
The department is determined that
if the hopeful indications from the
consulting board are borne out and
one or more news ways of meeting
the submarine discovered, the Ger
man authorities will be prevented
from securing any inkling of what is
in prospect and thus be denied an op-
portunity to prepare against any new
weapons in advance.
Navy Department at Work
The department itself has done a
great deal of experimental work both
with devices for the destruction or
detection of submarines and also with
interior defense for warships against
torpedoes and mines.
| 1t is regarded as certain that if
American inventive geuius is success
full at any time during the present
war in finding means to check the
operations, of German submarines
the information will be shared
promptly with Great Britain. France
and the other nations with which the
| United States is aligned in the war.
The British and French Admiralty
has placed at the disposal of the navy
department the results of any hope
ful experiments made by them to the
same end during the war. Thousands