Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-19
iced to secure victory"
Were Expprts In Mining.


Joseph Strauss ana George II. Marvel
undertook the study of improving mines
and devising better methods Tor laying
them. The Baltimore was fitted up as
a mine ship. Many new wrinkles of
great value were developed In expert
ment. So when we entered the war we
knew something about mining.
We were qualified as experts In this
department of naval warfare. 1t was
great satisfaction to me then TO reflect
that long before there had been iieck
of war-cloud as big as mans hand in
the sky. | had approved this particular
work Of research and taken intense
interest in it's developments.
So immediately upon our entrance in
to the WARM April l9l7-the navy de-
partment of the United States. through
it's bureau of ordnance. made the sug-
gestion that mine barrage be laid
across the North sea from the Orkneys
to Norway. We believed this would end
the U-bOat menace. We believed Ger
many would have to keep her undersca
navy at home if we could close that
230-milc door 10 the Atlantic And we
in Washington believed we could close
it,
lnere were uouDtciS dlipllS pui HplH'
strategists. hut there were more who
believed it possible and who were willing
to make the effort. But in Great Britain
naval leaders regarded the proposal as
impracticable.
Lloyd George with Wilson.
Two great civilian leaders-Woodrow
Wilson and Lloyd GeorRc-wcrc con-
vinccd that only by some bold, unprecc-
dented offensive could civilization be
saved from the U-boat1 Either the pro-
tccted nests Of the submarines must be
raided and destroyed. ur the avenue
through which they reached the high
seas must be blocked. Lloyd George
expressed his belief that some form of
barragc would prove the most effective
offensive against the I--hoat hut he did
not direct the British admiralty to adopt
the proposal, If il had taken his advice
the North sea barraEe would have been
laid in 1917 and hundreds OF thousands
OF tons of shipping and weary months
Of anxiety would have been saved the
allies. Probably the war would have
ended at considerably earlier date.
While we argued and persuaded pre-
Cious time was passing. The experts
across the seas said NO: il is imprac
ticable"
Admiral Earle convinced 10y his cx-
periments that the thing could he done,
overcame any doubts his colleagues
might have entertained. and the general
board the chief Of operations and the
commander-in-chief of the fleet All
Joined with him in urging and pleading
that an effort be made to lay the bar
rage. Prominent American civilians
employed such influence as they would
exert OF the same end
Great work Accomplished.
And 50 at Inst in the fall Of 1917
opposition and prejudice gave way. Ad-
miral Earle and his associates had con-
vinced the doubters in our own navy
and the British navy and rcjoiCcd that
their plan was Ia be put into effect
ADMIRAL Strauss was put in charge -
this. the outstanding naval offensive
OF the world war he had a picked
personnel Of 900 officers and mon Of
stuff and skill our force laid 56.Gil
mines: their British coworkers laid
1862. Most Of our mines were Of
new type. perfected in the summer of
1917. Tho British laid the old type Of
mine However. both proved effective
ported $4,000 II required sixty-four
ship loads from the United States, and
involved dangers and hardehips little
realized by those who were not engaged
in the pcrious .ask The entire cost
Of tho American part Of this operation
was approximately $4,000, 900 The
mines cost S35. .5S1.25O
The first mines were placed on Juno
nd No first 4-frf 4. a
on June g when a J--boat was disabled
and compelled 70 return to its base.
The British admiralty officially credits
the barragc with the destruction or
Of twcnty-threc D-boats Az
cording 10 Admiral Earle chief Of 1hc
bureau Of ordnance, 1T has been cstah-
lished that siN submarines were lost III
the barrage and three more 80 badly
damaged that they never again put to
sea" This is Inc conservative AmcIi-
can estimate which the British ad-
supplements from further in-
formation in its possession
What the Barrage Did.
Eight and one-half per cent Of the
total number Of submarines lost dur
ing the war We're brought into the list
of missing. says Admiral Earle. "by
the barraGe which existed for only
per cent of the period Of the war such
results more than justified the effort
and time and funds expended
Admiral Strauss is responsible for the
following opinion. which, / think has
never been published:
If the war had continued and the
barrage had been completed To the
Orkneys, and the barrier across the
straits of Dover had been promptly com
pleted. it would have ended the sub
marine menace so far as submarines
going from the North sea into the broad
Atlantic was concerned Also the bar
rier that we We're to build across the
Adriatic and across the Aegean sea.
when completed. would have actually
ended submarine operations
Even in its Incompetence. il served
IS purpose. II precipitated the mutiny
IF the German navy. which was a rpair /