New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-14
The Submarine Challenge
By Nduticus
IA We'll Known Naval EaperD

oIa;r,od :, ,ba, the means adopted for sup
pressing the submarine are satlsI"''o,y
And il must be remembered that tne I'M
successes OF the defence were oota'neu
the restricted and comparatively shaii0'
waters Of the North Sea and the bngiisiI a'o
Irish channels, where the light color OF Tue
sandy bottom and the shallow depth "ei'
favorable to detection by aeroplanes' capture
by nets or destruction b. the patrol Doa'S'
big and little with which those waters were
alive.
Now that the campaign is being carrieo
on by large. fast and seaworthy craft. capable
of keeping the sea for lengthy periods anc
Of operating in the deeper waters OIL the
coasts OF Great Britain and France, the dit-
fcuties Of finding and destroying the enemy
are greatly increased. Against submarines
that arc operating from two TO three hundred
miles of the coast the steel net and the
drag are out Of the question, as are several
of the minor devices which proved more or
Iess effective in the shoaler waters around
the British Isles.
In n recent discussion by an Allied naval
authority it was stated that by far the moso
effective weapon had proved to be the rapid
fire gun, mounted upon fast patrol Doats OF
unon the deck of the merchant steamer. AS
regards the latter out of every TOUR ui--
armed steamers attacked three were SUNK;
whereas, of every four armed ships attacked
three escaped. A three-inch gun mounted
on the lofty and steady platform OF mer-
chant ship has an enormous advantage over
a three-nch gun carried on the low ana uh-
steady deck Of submarine. The ship may
be struck a dozen times without suherihg
fatal damage; whereas, one hit with a mgr
explosive she'll will put the largest submarine
out of commission.
Build Submarine Chasers
Hence It follows that the most effective
contribution of the United States to the de-
feat of the submarine war will be the con-
struction OF vast feet Of the 11O-foot, ~
knot "chascrs," several OF which are now
under construction, and the immediate arm
ing Of every ship, coastwise or ocean-golng'
in our merchant marine SO deadly is the
ranid-fire gun in the hands of n trained crew
that no U-boat will dare TO accept the chal-
lenge to a gun-fght. 1t will have to rely
upon the torpedo; and to make a hit with
the torpedo, except when the submarine ~
within very short range, has been proved
nv the experience Of the war TO be very
difficult matter.
Another and most effective means of de-
feating the purpose of the submarine RAID
is to increase the output of new shipping.
This the Allied and neutral nations are doing;
and the British yards, having completed the
programme of new construction for the navy,
are now applying their vast resources to
making good the deficiency. Our own con-
tribution, in the form of feet of thousand
wooden, motor-driven ships of 5000 to $500
tons, will form a most valuable addition to
the worlds tonnage; ard it has the advantage
that the ships can be built quickly and at
low cost per ton. Our Shipping Board, which
has the project in hand, estimates that within
five months time we shall be adding to our
merchant marine, from this source alone, al
tho rate of from 100000 TO 100000 tons
per month.