Evening star., 1942-03-10

gines and the steel hulls can be
welded together in from four to six
weeks time. Since it draws only II
feet. and since the average torpedo
fired from submarine travels at
about Is feet below the surface, it
Is assumed that the miracle ship
would avoid most Of the torpedoes.
The Sea Otter" has been under
consideration for long time. Presi-
dent Roosevelt took deep interest
in the idea. A model was built.
Then q full-sized vessel and q trial
run was carried out successfully.
The Navy Department issued rosy
announcement and pictures were
given out last September. Then
nothing was heard of it afterwards.
From shipping experts who do not
believe in the Sea Otter" has come
the view that the idea is uneconomic
and that 1t would be better to con-
centrate on 1o00o-ton ships of the
Liberty type. British lease-lend ex-
perts are said to have rejected the
"Sea otter" on the ground that it
couldn't be handled in British har-
bors because OF the length of time
needed to handle the landing within
the limits OF the tides.
Proponents Test Advantages.
But the proponents Of the idea are
not discouraged. They say the Sea
Otter" will take crew Of only II
men or thereabouts and that con-
struction is so simple 1t can be done
by a lot Of unemployed garage me-
chanics and that the economics OF
too much man power for the small
amount Of cargo can be answered
BY the advantages Of the vessels.
The advantages are supposed TO
be as follows:
l. The Sea Offers" are hard TO
see as a submarine target.
2. When one is sunk. only . small
amount of cargo is lost.
8. They can be built in such huge
quantities as to take care OF the
bottleneck in ship transportation In
the next few months while the larger
fleet of 10,0o0-ton cargo vessels are
under construction.
4. The big cargo vessels can be
diverted to other duty while the
smaller ones take the dangerous
courses.
S. Enough gasoline can be car
ried to take the boats to Europe
and back without refuelling.
While the Navy Department has
said nothing about the Sea Offers"
since last autumn, 1t has been
learned from other sources that the
idea was formally abandoned as
impractical. and that the President
was satisfied thorough consideration
had been given to the plan.
But as otter happens with . new
Idea, circumstance which was
valid last September might not be
the same a few months later under
other conditions. The need OF ships
was far less acute before America
entered a two-ocean war last De-
cember than 1t has become since
that time.
Report Expected Soon.
II It is true that literally thou
sands Of these 1,25o-ton cargo YES
sells can be built In quick time and
used to carry cargo to some Of the
many destinations for which there
Is today q need for tonnage, 1t is
being urged that the experts should
give the matter further considera-
ton.
The Senate Naval Affairs Com
mittee has undertaken the study
not with any preconceived notion
but because of the recurrent argu-
ment as to the merit of the plan
and in an attempt to discover
whether something should be done
about it or the idea dropped.
The proponents Of the Sea Otter"
are insisting that the vessels which
can be constructed OF sheet steel
and will not need the customary
shipbuilding ways can be assembled
in short order without requiring
special shops Once they are lined
up for quantity production, it is de-
clared the Sea Offers" can be turn
ed out in fantastic quantities sum-
cient to build virtually bridge Of
ships across the Atlantic. But the
public will soon be told more about
the controversy as report from
Senator Gillette's subcommittee is
expected shortly.
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