Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-02-10
Consulting Board Head Tells Details Of Torpedo
 Proof Vessels.
NAVY CONFIDENT
 BOAT DONE FOR
May Clear Them From Sea By Spring, High Officers fhtimate-Vev Methods and Devices
 Withheld.

New York, Feb. 9.-Means have been found to make troop trans. ports unsuitable by submarines, ac- cofdlng to statement made here tonight by Vim. L. Saunders, vice chairman of the naval consulting board, at an address at dinner of University of Pennsylvania alumni.
 Mn. Saunders said that one of the ships recently communicated by the government now lies at an Allan tic port in such shape that she can mot be sunk by an exploding tornedo. l can conceive of no reason why this information should be withheld. On the contrary I believe it is well that the enemy may come to real ze that the time has teen reached when American transports are ready for transportation of our troops that an enemy cannot sink. The ship may have a hole thirty or forty feet in diameter blown in her side, and she will remain afloat Snch hole would waterlog but one tenth of the honeycombed air tight cells"
 Describes Details.
 MT. Saunders described in detail the plan to keep ships afioat after they have been torpedoed, and the manner in which it had been develop ed by Wm. F.. Donelly, New York marine engineer, working under nav al consulting board.
 "Of course it will take time to equip the large number of trans ports we have,' continued MT. Saund- CTS. ''It is my belief that nothing will be left undone to safeguard lives of troop contineents to be moved across the Atlantic"
 Mr. Saunders in a statement last May asserted that solution of the sub marine problem had probably been found by the board and in the opin- ion of board members the scheme would put an end to the submarine menace. He did not enter into de- tails.
 Navy Has Other Plans.
 Washington, Feb. 9-Announcement by Vice-Chairman Saunders, of the naval consulting board, that means had been found to make troop ships practically unsuitable, lends new meaning to the air of confidence with which both American and British naval authorities are facing their task
 
 cent statements by Admiral Jellicoe, Secretary Daniels and other officials have indicated that a campaign has been mapped out, and instrumentali- ties developed which are expected to curb if not eliminate, submarines en- tireiy within few months.
 DcplOre Publicity.
 Discussion of devices developed is I ~eG :~Jo ments have been guarded closely. High officials have been free to as- sert privately, however, the belief that the u-boats would be checked suf- ficiently by early summer to insure a steady flow of American troops and supplies to Europe, with few incidents such as the Tuscania to be antici- pated.
 Admiral Jellicie predicted that the submarine would be killed" by Au- gust At the same time he warned that heavy ship losses were to be ex- pected up to that time.
 Secretary Baker insisted before the senate committee that million and a half American troops could be talk en to France and kept supplied during 1918. His replies as to where the ton- mage was to come from have indicat- ed there was information at hand which he did not care to disclose.
 Navy Now Ready.
 Without disclosing any new imple- menr that may have been developed to meet the submarine, navy officials have pointed out that all of the lines of effort started when the United States entered the war, are now on the point of bearing fruit. Additional destroyers and patrol boats are com ing forward rapidly-in some cases more than years time has been sav- ed in destroyer construction. Swifter. more heavily armed vessels. fitted with every device that has been evolv- ed, are being rushed to the support of Sims flotilla. With complete mobilization of all these agencies against an enemy, already severely hampered by American and British patrol fleets. it is pointed out that greater repression of the submar-