Again, what was of even greater urgency was that the Count was able to get rid of certain documents which would have made matters quite uncomfortable for him if they had been found in his possession some months later when the break came between the United States and Germany.
Her Great Engines.—The Deutschland is driven by two 600-horsepower Diesel engines, each of which has four cylinders. She is able to make a speed of 14 knots on the surface, but when submerged her speed is only about half as much.
She is supplied with enough liquid fuel and solid foods to enable her to cruise for 5,000 miles without making port.
Such is the Deutschland, and to her belongs the distinction of being the first underwater merchantman. Under the skilful command of her captain, she served her country nobly and well for the purpose for which she was built.
How the United States Can Break the Blockade.—Right now the United States and the Allies have to face the same gigantic problem that was forced upon Germany at the beginning of the war, and that is to break the enemy’s blockade.
The scheme of keeping the sea-roads clear for shipping by destroying the U-boats has proved a slow and hard process, and so new plans have been mapped out by our naval engineers and others with which to defeat the blockade.
The Wooden Ship Idea.—The first plan, and one which is being carried out with great energy, is the building of hundreds of little wooden ships, each of which is 25 feet shorter than the Deutschland and has a cargo carrying capacity of 3,500 tons, and a speed of 4 knots less than the surface speed of the great German submarine.
The main idea seems to be to turn these little boats out fast enough so that the number the U-boats sink will be so small that the loss will not be felt. The glaring fault of this idea is that while the U-boats are sinking 500,000 tons of shipping a month, American ship-builders can build only 200,000 tons a month, and this is figuring it out with a liberal margin.
While these small wooden craft of the vintage of 1850 would relieve the stress that is now felt in shipping circles they would not by any means remove it.
The Submarine Plan.—Simon Lake, the inventor of the submersible, has enlarged upon the German plan, and his plan is one which our Government ought to carry out, because, in the humble opinion of the writer, it is the only feasible one thus far advanced.