d that statement by reference to utterances
made by such British authorities as Mr. Balfour, Lord Charles
Beresford, Lord Northcliffe, and Lord Montague. In an article
published shortly after his appearance before the Senate Committee,
the Admiral summarized in a popular way his views as to the
possibility of meeting the submarine menace with aircraft, and what
the United States might do in that respect. He wrote:

We are receiving agreeable reports as to the efficiency of the
American destroyer flotilla now operating against submarines in
the North Sea. An unknown naval officer, according to the
newspapers of May 30th, calls for the immediate construction of
from 100 to 200 additional American destroyers.

By all means let us have this force--when it can be made
ready--but it would take at least two years to construct, equip,
and deliver such a heavy additional naval tonnage, while 200
fighting seaplanes, with a full complement of machine guns,
bombs, microphones, and aerial cameras, could be put in active
service in the North Sea within six months.

Seaplanes, small dirigibles on the order of the English "blimp"
type, and kite balloons have already shown themselves to be more
effective in detecting submarines than are submarine chasers or
armed liners.

Not only have the British, French, German, and Turkish forces
destroyed trawlers, patrol boats, and transports by aircraft,
but successful experiments in airplane submarine hunting have
also been made in this country.

In September, 1916, our first Aerial Coast Patrol Unit, in acting
as an auxiliary to the Mosquito Squadron in the annual manoeuvres
of the Atlantic fleet, detected objects smaller than the latest
type of German submarines from fifteen to twenty feet below the
surface.

A more complete aerial submarine hunt took place on March 26th of
this year. This was the real thing, because the fliers were
looking for German U-boats. Inasmuch as the Navy Department is
still waiting before establishing its first and only aeronautical
base on the Atlantic seaboard, the honour of having conducted the
first aerial hunt of the enemy submarines in American history
went to the civilian aviators who are soon to be a part of the
Aerial Reserve Squadron at Governor's Island and to the civilian
instructors an