New-York tribune., 1921-08-28


to any other human being
He was first to make the
submarine a practical thing. That it
has been used principally for warfare
ne regards as tragic perversion of its
potentialities. That it will be mar
velously useful IN peace enterprise he
believes with all his heart. It's peace
time promises, IS he sees them, arc
like fairy tales.
~7wo-thirds of the carth's surface
is covered by water" he said thought
fully to me. "Two-thirds! 1t is not
the least productive two-thirds either.
It's mysteries conceal more treasures
than the widest romsncer ever had
dreamed Of. Treasurer? Billions of it
billions. Yet we know practically
nothing Of it beside the fact that it is
vast and that it does hide riches.
I'VE talk Of having mastered the
earth. What nonsense. We have come
far nearer to mastery of the air than
to mastery of that covered two
thirds Of the earth.
But the machines whereby We might
have mastered it have been perfected
and at our disposition longer than the
airplane has been. Mans neglect of
this great opportunity is amazing. The
depths Of ocean have bsfIled US. They
need baf1e US no longer.
ut boTcs noe to have people talk
about the submarine as if it could be
nothing but a sort of vast aquatic
beast of prey, sailor killer, baby
murderer, ship sinker.
people are beginning to understand
that aircraft can do better things than
drop bombs on dcfeus selcss cities. Let
men also comprehend the fact that
submarines may have a mission which
has naught to do with stcalthy, Hun
nish killing; that if the liner s lady
the submarine may be, at least, an
earnest, brave, useful adyenturcr, ex-
ploring, mapping, studying. eventually
rendering commonplace environm ents
now utterly unknown, a pathfinder
eliminating perils--and very notably q
pathmaker revealing to humanity new
secrets of the realm in which nature
stored and in which man has scattered
the best wealth Of this earth.
Exploration Of Air Easier
Than Water, Scientist Insists
ut is not extraordinary that the air
should have been first to be explored,
for air exploration is exhilarating,
openly dramatic, very much in the
sight of mer- 1t involves that which
ever has been fascinating to mankind -
great sEced.
"Excursioning in submarines, upon
the other hand, is hidden, cramped, op-
pressive work in darksome depths as
sociated with grim tragedies of
wrecked ships. drowned men, women
babes, tremendous unknown monsters
Its risk is quite as thrilling as that
of air travel and even more mysteri.
Gus, but it is incurred in stuffy quar-
ters, out of sight of all mankind save
a few thrust into companions hin
which restricted space makes all too
intimate. Since the early boats which
proved the possibility Of underwater
travel no submarine has been the sub
ject of excited crowd enthusiasm. The
German record in the war has made
the name of sailors daring death by
operating submarines anathema. All
recognize their bravery, but for fou,
years Of incredible brutality have
dubbed them beasts, monsters, assas-
sins, unclean fighters, pirates.
"Yet I personally am sure that tn.
submarine will give as great a gift tt
man as the sirplane ever can. The
latter may explore some difficult area.
OF the earth's surface, but it will skin
above them, studying superhcially; tn,
submarine, sooner or later, will ex
plore far greater areas below the sur
face of the sea, and it will delve, in
vestigate, not merely map out path.
for closer students Treasures untolt
await the submarine equipped for worl
among them, and she will actually fin,
them and pats them up for mankind
use.
Submarine Is Now Used tn
Locate Pearl Oyster Beds
Il have heard from an Australia,
who has been working with eubma
r1ne in locating pearl oyster beds
Long as the submarine has been 4 prac
teal thing this, so far AZ I know, wa
It's first use for this Obvious purpose
he tclls me tha, pearls have bee,
hshed cut not only close about Aus
tralia, but far IN the uorthward. at y,