The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1917-03-24
PLAN TO FOIL GERMANY

builders in Washington than IS sug-
gested by the dispatches. The meet
ing was called by the federal shipping
board, which. through the aid OF
engineers, has devised a method OF
frustrating the object of the Ger
mar submarine campaign. That OBJ
iect is the starvation of Great Brit
ain and France, and can be accom-
plished only if the United States per-
mits its merchant marine to be wiped
off the seas
The board plans the construction
of small motor-driven ships not only
for commercial needs, but also for
transporting supplies to Great Brit
ain and France, whose interests
would be identical with our own in
case of war.
Americans may object that the
United States as a nation should not
be interested in preventing the star
walton of Great Britain or France.
even though that result must be pre-
coded by the destruction of u mer-
chant marine. Evidently the Gov
eminent at Washington takes a diff
ferent view. This view was expressed
only a few days ago by Henry A.
Wise Wood in a speech which he de-
livered before a joint session of the
Aero Club of America and the Motor
Boat Club of America. The impor-
lance of the subject and the fact
that Mr.. Wood explained in full the
benefit of a fleet of small motor
driven ships warrant an extended
quotation from that speech. Mr..
Wood said in part:
The reply (meaning the reply of
an American engineer to Germany's
submarine campaign) is to the eff
feet that the Zimmerman note has
at last made it plain to the great
masses of our people that Great Brit
ain is the only barrier that stands
between America and destruction;
that they are aware that that barrier
will hold so long as the British peo-
pie are fed, and that they are now
making up their minds to feed the
British people until their work shall
have been done.
The American engineer has per-
fected a plan whereby we shall be
able to create cargo tonnage faster
than Germany can sink it. This will
be carried out upon our forested
coasts. 1t will require but little
plant, but little time and no skill
higher than that of the ordinary long
shore shipwright. Every beach at
the foot of a forest provides all the
yard necessary. Such a beach, simple
wooden ways, a few cheap tools and
standardized patterns are all that are
needed to produce the cargo carrier
thatwill break the German strangle-
hold.
This vessel may be termed the
Ford of the seas. 1t can be built in
great numbers. quickly, at small cost
by men of little skill. For 500, 000.-
600 a million tons of it, making a
nine-knot speed, can be put afoat in
a years time. A million tons of it
with a fourteen-knot speed can be
launched for $3.50. 600. 600.
A million tons of these motor ships
would comprise 1000 vessels, each of
1000 tons burden. These vessels,
mastless, smokeless and of diminu-
tive size. would have such a low visi-
bility. when compared with the usual
10, 000-ton steamer, that one would
be invisible to a submarine at a little
more than a third the distance at
which the 10, 000-ton steamer could
be seen. Furthermore, the motor
ship would offer a smaller mark,
would be more agile in the event of
an encounter. and by reason of its
small draft. of but eleven to thirteen
feet. many torpedoes that would sink
the usual steel cargo vessel would
pass idly beneath it.
But this is not yet the whole of the
story. When a 10. 000-ton steel ship
is sunk a costly and slowly made YES
sci goes to the bottom with 10, 900