Evening star., 1943-01-23
Open Mind
Needed for
U-Bout War
Navy Bureau Deuf
To Proposals for
Offensive Devices
By DAVID LAWRENCE,

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The ravages of the submarine
against United States shipping have
grown to such point that it has
become almost the No. l problem of
the war. For of what avail is it to
produce billions of dollars of ma
terials and weapons if they find their
way, in large part, only to the bot
tom of the seas?
Germany's biggest source of en-
couragement for a possible stale
mate that may prolong the war by
years is through the operations of
the submarine. Knowing that
Britain cannot supply much more
manpower and that the gasoline
and troops and weapons must come
from America to carry on any
major offensive in Europe. the Axis
high command has. with telling
foresight, concentrated on the build
ing of submarines.
Today there are believed to be
more Axis submarines, and better
ones from a cruising radius stand
point, than at the beginning of
the war.
What has the Government here
done to combat the submarine?
There is some reason to believe
that the secrecy which has clcuded
the disclosure OF the actual sinkings
has also clouded inefficiency in the
handling of the submarine problem
For one thing, the only answer
that has been given thus far is cry
for more escort vessels. This, in
turn, runs into priorities of ma
terials But is the only answer to
the problem the building of escort
vessels?
Offensive Weapon Needed.
There are many experts, men who
have spent their lives in studying
the submarine. who say that an
offensive war must be waged against
submarines and that the escort YES
sci is only part of the answer,
because it is primarily a defensive
weapon. 1t would be interesting to
know what is the responsibility of
the bureau in the Navy Department
which has been accepting or reject
ing inventions and experiments.
1t Is reported, for instance, that
civilian advice, while given, does not
play much of part in the approach
to the problem. One officer in
charge may express an arbitrary
opinion and the experiment pro-
posed may be rejected 1t is too
important a matter to be disposed
of that way.
Yet this is believed to have been
the experience of one prominent in
ventor, a former naval officer, who
had suggested device so simple and
relatively inexpensive that it seems
incredible his device was not tried
out. 1t involves the principle of
the silent boat. As is we'll known,
submarines now are equipped with
devices enabling them to hear the
propellers of approaching ships. To
get means of propulsion that does
not require the Use of propellers in
the water has been the aim of many
who have attempted to solve the
problem.
1t has been reported also that the
Japanese are experimenting with a
device that involves the same prin-
ciple. But so far as our Navy Bu-
reau is concerned, there has been a
disposition to write long treatises on
why experiments should not be
tried instead of ordering every
plausible experiment to be given
trial.
People Eager to Pay.
There certainly is no shortage of
funds for the purpose. The Ameri-
can people would gladly waste a
million dollars a dsy on experiments
If indeed it would all be waste
because that would still be rela-
lively small proportion of the total
cost of the cargoes that have been
lost, to say nothing of the ships and
the man-hours of labor involved in
the turning out of those ships. And
there would always be the posi-
bility that some invention might dis
prove the earlier opinions.
Sometimes a test reveals the need
for slight variation or deviation
that makes all the difference be-
tween success or failure.
Many of the proposals involve
better protection against the sub
marine in strip Of ocean only
about so miles off shore. But if a
lane of that width could be abso-
lutely secure against submarines.
there might not be the loss of
tankers carrying fuel oil And
there is always the possibility that
the same device might be adapted
for use farther out at sea.
1t will be recalled that only when
the morale of the German sub
marine crews began to falter in 1918
did the mutiny develop in the
German Navy which brought on
revolution in Germany. If America
can perfect a device that means sure
death for submarines, the Axis will
have a hard time recruiting crews.
The devices to accomplish such an
objective must be found but they
will not be unless there is more
open -mindedneSs in the bureau that
has charge of such things. 1t is
really something worthy of a special
department in the Government with
authority stemming from the Presi-
dent himself
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