Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-06-21
Inventor OF
Submarine
Has Vision
Simon Like Predicts
Major Naval Battles
of Next War May Be
Under Sea
By David Church


Washington, June 21. - The
next war may see great submarine
battles with armadas of U-boats
fighting beneath the surface OF the
sea.
This is broadly limited at by 81
mon Lake, inventor OF the sub
marine. in a communication ad-
dressed to members of the Senate
urging a broad extension OF the
submarine building programme for
the United States. Lake disclosed
that there are plans now on file
in the secret archives of the Unit
ed States Navy for warfare by sub
marines against enemy submarin-
es.
"The submarine has not yet
reached its full development, "
said Lake. There are other feat
ures that may well be added to
further their effectiveness and in
crease the scope of their useful
ness.
I'm my humble judgment it is
the only weapon that can be safe
ly relied upon to keep foreign
fleets from our shores. Every
other weapon is visible and can
be met by another Of it's kind; the
submarine is invisible, and IL made
noiseless and provided with noise
less and invisible automobile tor
pedoes or with proper mine-plant-
ing facilities, no other type of ship
that floats on the sea or in the
air can meet it on equal terms.
The cost of the submarine is slight
compared with other vessels. Did
the six hundred millions spent on
aircraft get single German sub
marine? No. According to the
official reports, the best defense
against the German submarines
was other submarines. AS soon as
war was declared between our
country and Germany / sent sew
eral plans to our Navy Depart
ment as well as to some English
naval friends. / outlined how sub
marines could be used for a de-
fense against attacking enemy
submarines. Some Of these plans
were later put into practice. They
proved effective, but If they had
been fully carried out the loss Of
ships near the English coast would
have been very much reduced.
These plans. l presume, are still
on file in the secret archives of
the Navy Department, where they
may remain without further dis
cussion, so far as am concerned. .
U Boats Undefeated.
Lake firmly believed that the
German U-boats were not beaten
in the World-War.
MANY people think the sub
marine was mastered and driven
from the sea- Lake declared.
Hundreds of millions were ex-
pended and lost on barrage and
large fleets of trawlers, submarine
chasers and other ships to offset
the sinking caused by these Ger
man submarines, and the sub
marines, and those sunk were in
significant in number and cost in
comparison to the surface ships
lost. England lost ships, cargoes
and men without number. I'm
told fortunes paid tribute to the
awful power Of destruction. of the
submarine.
I'm spite OF the expenditures of
billions on destroyers, submarine
ehasers. miners, airplanes and bar
RACES the submarine continued to
infest the seas.
THE strategy of war made il
good tactics to claim destruction
OF submarines in unlimited num-
bers. but the war history records
no such events rs were claimed
during hostiIities. Much has OCen
made of the fact that no Amer ican
transports and troopships were
sunk by submarines. The writer
understands that history records
that the Germans felt it better not
to sink American troopships and
saw her error in thinking that she
could conquer the world through
frightfuIness.
America was Spared"
ITO quote the statements of one
high American naval officer who
was active overseas. Germany
decided 1t was bad policy to sink
any Of our troopships. as that
would further ALLEVIATE us when IT
came time to make peace and re-
sumo trade relations, so the order
went out to spare American troop
ships; in other words. as this Of
ficer stated. They could have
sunk our ships II they wished, but
they had lost their CUTS and did
not have the nerve to carry out
their former programme Of fright
fulness. According to the Bridge
port Telegram OF April 23, 1921.
Admiral Sims said: II Admiral /
Won Tirpitz had had his way in
The high councils OF Germany we
would now be speaking German |
with a decided New England ae-
tent and he also said he believed
Iirplanes and submarines would
e the master weapons in future
Vars.'
The submarine has not lost its