Evening star., 1920-02-08


this deadly weapon at any time by
simply concealng its whereabouts when
in danger OF attack. The destroyer could
usually sink the submarine whenever it
could get near enough: 1t was for the
Underwater boat. however. to decide
whether an engagement should sake
place.
That great advantage in warfare, the
option OF fighting or of running away,
always lay with the submarine. Until
1T was possible for our nava, forces to
set out to sea, find the enemy that was
constantly assalling our commerce and
destroy him. 1t was useless to maintain
that we had discovered the anti-sub-
marine tactics which would drive this
pest from the ocean for all time Though
the convoy. the rhine fields. the mystery
ships. the airplanc and several other
methods of fighting the underwater boat
had been developed, the submarine still
possessed that one great quality Of in
visibility which made any final method
of attacking it such difficult problem.
Despite the wonderful work which had
been accomplished by the convoy the
allied warfare upon tho submarine was
still largely a game of blind mans bluff.
In our struggle against the German
campaign we were deprived of one OF
the senses which for ages had been alb
solutely necessary to military opera
tions-that Of sight. We were consta ntly
attempting to destroy an enemy whom
W could N for "a
sive at sea was concerned. the allies
found themselves in the position Of a
man who has suddenly gone blind.
make this comparison advisedly. for IL
at once suggests that our situation was
not entirely hopeless.
The man who loses the use OF his eyes
suffers terrible affiiction: yet this ca
lamity does not completely destroy his
usefulness. Such person. II normally
intelligent. gradually learns how to find
his way around in darkness: first he
slowly discovers how to move about his
roOm then about his house. then about
his immediate neighborhood. and ulti
mately ne becomes SO expert that he
can be trusted to walk alone in crowded
streets. to pilot himself up and down
Quo dH60 uulIutISS, anu CNSi- " eO oN
long journeys In time he learns to read,
to play cards and chess, and not infre-
quently even to resume his old profess
sion or occupation; indeed his existence.
despite the deprivation OF what many
regard as the most indispensable Of the
senses, becomes again practically nor
NAL process.
His whole experience. OF course. Is
one Of the most beautiful demonstra-
tions we have OF the exquisite economy
of nature. What has happened in the
case of this stricken man is that his
other senses have come to fill the place
OF the one which he has lost. Deprived
OF sight, he is forced to form his con-
facts with the external world by using
his other senses, especially those or
touch and hearing. So long as he could
see freely. these senses had lain half de-
veloped: he had never used them to any
extent that remotely approached their
full powers; but. now that they are
called into constant action. they grad
ually increase in strength to a degree
that seems abnormal. precisely as a dis
used muscle, when regularly exercised.
acquires q hitherto unsuspected vigor.
This Illustration applies to the pre-
dicament In which the allied navles now
found themselves. When they attempted
to fight the submarine they discovered
that they had gone hopelessly blind.
Like the slghtless man, however. they
stiu had other senses left; and 1t re-
mained Tor them to develop these to
take the place Of the one which they
had been deprived Of. Tho faculty
which 1t seemed most likely that they
could increase by stimulation was
that OF hearing. Our men could not
detect the presence Of the submarine
with their eyes; could they not do
90 with their cara? Their enemy
could make himself unseen at will.
but he could not make himself un-
heard. except by stopping his engines.
4 \ 4
In fact. when the submarine was
uRasr watss. the vlbratiohs aus - the
peculiar shape Of Ito psoDsltsrs and
hull ana to its electric motora pro.
ducsL sound waves that ressmblsd
nething else In art or nature. It now
clearly became the business OF naval
science 70 take advantage Of this
phenomenon to track the submarine
after II had submerged. Once this
feat had been accomplished. the only