Subway Ship

Highly esteemed in Britain, author of numerous books, Hector Charles Bywater of the London Daily Telegraph is a very specialized critic. He reviews no plays, no novels, no art exhibitions. Hector Bywater criticizes battleships. Last week Hector Bywater went down to sunny Devonport on special invitation from the Admiralty to take a look at H. M. S. Adventure, a 7,000-ton cruiser whose innards have been a closely guarded secret ever since her launching nine years ago. There may have been ulterior reasons for the trip. Though widely known as the last of Britain's "hush hush" ships, the Adventure, only cruiser-minelayer in the British Navy, has been in commission long enough for the high command of most of the world's navies to be well aware of her secrets. She was being refitted last week for service to China. What Critic Bywater saw and described for NANA would make sober reading for Japanese jingoes: "Imagine a section of a subway, complete with a double set of rails well over 100 yards long, and lacking only the platforms, advertisements and escalators, and you have a fairly accurate picture of the Adventure's mine deck. ''This unique railway is served by about 80 officers and men, and its rolling stock consists of hundreds of the most powerful submarine mines in existence. . . . When the order is given to lay mines, the sinister 'train' is set in motion. Its speed can be regulated, and as each mine arrives at the stern it is man-handled through an open port and dropped into the sea. ... In less than half an hour the Adventure could render many square miles of sea most unhealthful to navigation. . . . Multiply by two the explosive force of the largest Wartime mine, remembering that the Adventure carries hundreds of the new and more deadly type, and some idea will be gained of the powers wielded by this unique ship." Not yet complete, Britain's great naval base at Singapore will be safer from remotely possible Japanese attack after the arrival of the Adventure.

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