THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 281, 1 June 1917, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

ELMER SPERRY'S INVENTION. (Bv Thomas W. Wilford, in "Wellington Post.") "London, May 10. Elmer Sperry has invented an antisuhmarine device which has amazed naval experts/' The above cable message draws one's attention to Elmer Sperry and las wonderful gyroscope compass, which lias already astonished the world. It may be interesting to your readers to see what "The Navy" says of Elmer Sperry's gyroscope. Alter first of ail pointing outi tlio importance of a compass, and iiow a vessel depends lor its safety and efficiency on its accuracy and reliability, and after stating that the Elmer Sperry gyroscope is in use in all the important navies, the writer points nut that this gyroscope is unaffected by magnetism, sets itself exactly on the meridian, ;uid can be verified without swinging the ship. It depends for its operations upon the speed of rotation of the earih, and has a directive forte several hundred times that of the magnetic compass. "Since it indicates true geographical north at all times," says the writer, "no corrections for variation or deviation have to Iw used to find the true compass course."

In this war Elmer Sp.Tiy's invention has been found invalauble. Experiments were recently made to ascertain to what extent the invention affected steering, and it was found tliat the vesbel could bo held two degrees elosr to her eour-o with oue-thiril ot the amount of helm than was possible with the magnetic. "This," the writer says, "adds tour per rent v> a vessel's .-peed, and wlien we consider what the modern liner cost, per hour in wages, fuel, stores, and overhead charges, tbo importauce of .stub a saving, ts immediately apparent." Arthur Pollen say-, in one of his recent articles that " the theory of defeating the submarine i> understood, bur 111771 ib.' material necessary for putting the theory info eH'oct takes time. Via. much •!> it is noanng <vmp!otion, and in st a ieiti.ua! ion then the defeat ot the submarine, is expe< tod. There is nor the remotest prospect of it achieving its purpose, which i> to starve us before the Western war leaches its pro. di.stiiU'l cud." It is strange bow oltui 1 am asked the qiie-.tion- What are our submarines doing- Surely all iniM, realise that a subtnarin ■ is" of little n-e without a target. Wo have in targets for our sul»inariues ex< ept in isolated cases, out when those targets are available. Morion, llolhrook ami others qniekly show, eil the world that in spue ol mines ind other difficulties, the British sui.inarino officer was without a peer, and unlike many German subniarine olii- . ers humane.