New-York tribune., 1918-07-28

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future than men in Robert Fulton s
time could tell how steamships
would develop as they watched the
little Clermont paddle up the Hud-
son.
Let us now consider the subma-
rine, another marvel Of war develop
ment. The highly perfected Ger
man submarine!
Think what this monster Of fright
fulness already is!
A submerged ocean liner! A
3,000-ton vessel, freight carrier, am
munition carrier, death carrier
capable of cruising under all seas,
of crossing all oceans, Of remain
ing away from its base for many
weeks. Capable of emerging sud-
denly at night a few miles off any
coast city-say few miles outside
Of New York Harbor-and Of train
ing its eight-inch guns, sub-calibred
to carry twenty miles, upon defence
less hospitals, churches and homes.
That is the Prussian idea!
Then come bombs, hurtling
through the darkness--fre bombs,
explosive bombs, a score Of them, a
hundred Of them, swiftly discharged
by the lurking enemy who straight
way sinks and is gone, leaving a
burning city to mourn it's dead and
dying.
This is no perfervid imagination,
but perfectly possible happening,
something that may be expected on
Manhattan Island, so experts tell
me, before the pleasant summer of
1918 is passed
Nor is this all. War inventive
ness has made it. possible for these
super-submarines to carry six or
eight airplanes slowed away with
folded parts, that may be quickly
assembled on deck Gan aeronautical
engineer assures me that this work
of assembling an airplane on the
deck of big submarine can be
done by six men in a single hour)
and then launched by night to cir
Gle over sleeping city-New York
for example-and drop fire bombs
or explosive bombs upon such parts
of it as seem most suitable for a
Hun murder fest.
Horrible.
How, then can we think of this war
invention as conducting to the bet
terment of mankind? Is there any
good in it? Anything of usefulness
or permanent value in it? Or is the
submarine altogether evil, an ac-
cursed assassin Of the deep?
No. 1t may even transpire that
this engine of destruction has it's
large part to play in the Great Plan
of human advancement and enlight-
enment that is obscurely unfolding
in the midst of present world mis-
cries.
Anti Submarine
Inventions
Peace will undoubtedly find some
serviceableness for these marvellous
underwater boats--it is inconceiv-
able that so much labor and ingenu-
ity shall go to waste. Already the
submarine has done much for men
in forcing them to defend their
ships. It has developed one war in
vention that will be useful for years
to come-that may, in fact, save
more lives than German submarines
have destroyed.
/ can give some interesting de-
tails concerning this invention, since
have been privileged to- witness, in
part, its operation. 1t is Z. listening
or sound amplifying device, by
means Of which the presence Of an
unseen submarine is revealed auto
matically to pursuing destroyer or
patrol vessel with considerable ex-
actness, both as to direction and dis
tance, these being electrically re-
corded on indicating dials.
The result is that an officer, read
ing these dials by night, in a fog, at
any time, knows that a submarine
Che recognizes her engine sounds
and propeller sounds) is so many
thousand yards away at eractly such
a point or fraction Of point of the
compass. And he steers accordingly.
!moving nearer and nearer to his