Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-27
Army and Navy News

who knew how to listen well. but
few had known the truth until the
Of its existence. Its locality cannot
yet be given. but It 10 miles across
and six miles or so in width. u was
the inception Of the United States
ordnance bureau. and the American
undertook has received highest HON
ors for his accomplishment. Plants
for making the mines had to be pre-
pared and new and special design
was harmless until II was called upon
to be active--and then powerful
enough to sink q battleship, II needs
be. That reliable bureau Of construc-
ton and repair designed for . Navy
t that had Srn no mine MIN layers when ncs
special mino layers that handled these
highly charged mines with about the
same ease and regularity that Q corn
planter drops its seeds in the fur
that Admiral Earle gave them that
made them. automatically hnd the
depth that he decided was the best
to. intercept the u-boats u they
should undertake, as Some Of them
tried. to pass the barrier. 90 go
There Is an old practice, called fish,
Ing with set limo: 1t is not q sport
Ing thing. for the Ash have no chance
and the fisher has no opportunity to
strike his game. He sets his line at
his floats and picks on his catch. In
putting out the set line Of mines for
U-boats there is no game on tho
hooks when the night 10 over to tell
whether the bait has been swallowed.
unmistakable. The German subma-
rines. have. not survived the deadly
barrier. and their exit from the North
sea. II not . thing Of the past, is
t sh1rongh q way, way 80 dangero eS that
crews are made probable. It is quite
probable that for some time tho Ger
mans have not used Ostend and Zee
brugge as U.boat bases. It 10 now
certain that they are not sending out
In consequence they are able~to send
but few. and those only at great risk.
into the Atlantic. Whether they are
maintaining any of them ON bases
outside the North sea 10 . question
can answer, but II such is the case
they will in time break down through
How many thousands Of these won-
derful mines the bureau Of ordnance,
has made and sent 70 England. Or to
the Adriatic. for planting cannot be
said. but their number IL known. to
be in the tens Of thousands. They
old not 90 this work alone. 1t In the
allied plan to work in conjunction.
the great mine.laying operations.
limo will tell the parts taken by
those loyal mates. and when that time
comes England and America will
know again that they made no mis-.
IN trusting to their mon who went
down in the ships. .-ft 49,.
, 49,
p EXPERIENCES from time to time to
American aircraft In action on tho
western front are somewhat confusing.
A recent publication mentions the great
aid raid north Of verdun whore $50
machines. probably majority Of
which were American. took part. It
10 not impossible that some De Havi-
lands made in the United States did
take part in this raid, but It 10 more
likely that many Of them were made
in France. and 1t is quite certain that
mono Of them was an American: made
combat machine. Many, both mill
tary people and civilians, are won-
port Of the investigation BY Charles
Hughes into the doings Of the maxi
duction. -
Nothing has been heard to indi-
cate that the Department OF Justice has
paid any attention to the results Of
the investigation. It IL the we'll
known method Of Justice Hughes to
be thorough without being dilatory.
and II 10 hardly possible that after
q finding by the Senate committee
that $4,000. 900 had resulted in
nothing tangible for the Army in the
way Of aircraft the results Of the in
vestigation will not be made public.
Many are asking questions. &,
The bill introduced by Senator
Harry New for the creation Of q sep
arate air department without q place
In the cabinet for it, director 10 pend-
ing without having been brought up
for hearing in the Senate. The
arguments Of those who favor It. are
that the service 10 30 highly spe-
cialized that II cannot be operated
either in material or in personnel to
the best advantage as long az IL re.
mains Identified with the War De.
partment, whose methods are UNI
avoidably too cumbersome to Give
the best results In this particular
whether there 10 connection between !.
the delayed action upon this bill and
the delay In reporting upon the
Hughes investigation. -.. !
A Curious Thing. >
cPENcER LUDLOW. tho California