THE GERMAN NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2232, 19 August 1914, Page 6

THE GERMAN NAVY.

ITS WONDERFUL GROWTH

■EMPEROR'S GREAT WORK

Although tho British Navy is numerically superior to the German Navy, and while the British people, as a body, believe that their "<logs of war" can defeat either the German or any other navy, it.must not be forgotten that the Teutons' fleet has made a wonderfully rapid growth of late years.. . It is now a vast fighting machine, capable of inflicting terrible injuries on an attacker before being put out of action, or forced to surrender. A glance at the growth of the German Navy, and the manner of that growth, provides food for reflection—espncially .as it is almost .solely the work of the German Emperor himself. . . •' . The growth of the opposing, British Navy, on the other hand,, has been gradual and steady since the days of Drake. Siuco that doughty bowler vanquished tho "Invincible" Armada, Britain's supremacy on the seas has been an established ' fact. It was threatened in Nelson's time, but the one-armed hero set all/ doubt at rest at Trafalgar, and ever siuco the British .Fleet has been the reoognised mistress of the seas." . " Germany has been the greatest rival of Britain, especially in later years, when, her navy has grown with amazing rapidity. In 1872 Getmany's Naval Budgjt only' amounted to .£1,300,000— less than too cost of a single battleship of to-day s , type. Even as late as 'the year 1888, Germany 'ivns without a single first-class battleship, yet to-day sho has no fewer than 33, baoked up by's3 cruisers. ■ ' Echo of African War. . it was as a direot result of the South African War that the Kaiser received his opportunity to bring ibrward his pet policy for a gigantic navy. ■•' He exploited the national feeling created .in Germany against England for the.latter's war vntii the Boers, and he was so successful that his scheme was immediately launched, rt proved successful from the outset, and, has been steadily followed ever since. The Kaiser's attitudo was shown in a speech lie made in Hambivrg at the outset of the South African War He said: "If naval reinforcements had not been refused me during the first eight years of my reign-refused, in spite of my most 'urgent requests and ,entreaties, refused with scorn, and . even.mockery—how <iitferently affairs would stand to-day! We should be able to. guard our thriving trade and commerce over sea, or, in other words, if you had given me the ships I wanted we could foavo tad South Africa as a German market." ... Could anything have been plainer than that the navji was to be built as a. menace to Britain? The Kaiser could not have put matters more clearly, had ne said: "If you had given mei the_ ships I wanted wo could have had South Africa as a German market, in spite ot MBland." ' i i j ■Uthouph the German Emperor took advantage of the flood of popular passion excited'by the war, he did not let his scheme" end with that one great; effort. He secured larso additions in the tierman Naval Budget for 1900, and has never since ceased to force his claims for an increased naval building programme. Hβ has declared time and again that Germany must have a fleet of such strength tlkit, even for the mightiest naval Power, war with her would involve such risks as would jeopardise its own supremacy. Germany's Fleet. ■ , That the Emperor's consistent advocacy in favour of increased warship building has borne fruit is shown, by the fact thut .tho latest Naval estimates report Ger:many as having .312 ships of war. manned by 80 000 men and with a reserve personnel of ovo:: 100,000. The snaps are classified as' follows:—Battleships S3, •cruisers 53, torpedo boats SO, destroyers 123, and submarines 23. , ' ' „ Naval experts all agree that the German Navy is in many respects equal to our own. Tho sailors are well organised and splendidly instructed, and the oihcers are second to none in the world, according to a naval correspondent m the Sydney "Daily Telegraph." They- arc younger too ill the higher branches than in the English Navy, as captains aro re r tired at 50, wli-ilo the British, captain continues sorvicft until he is 55. A Gernian vice-admiral, too, is forced to retire at 56, while in the British Navy he remains on until the ripe age of 65. Whatever mistakes the Kaiser has politically made he has certainly soundly organised his navy, which is solidly backed up by the German Army, with its 1,500,000 men. . This, then, is the mighty force against which the British Navy-or the -major portion, of it—is hourly expected to hurl itself. Should this expectation bo realised, the story of the straggle will occupy a foremost place in history, and Britain will once more have.stepped forth to settle vexed problems of nations while "all tlhis world wondered." •' •- ■