The Dominion. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1914. SIGNIFICANT FACTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2233, 20 August 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1914. SIGNIFICANT FACTS

The naval correspondent of the London Times has drawn attention to two facts of "tremendous ; signifi : eanco" for every part of the British Empire. The_ first is' that the seas are free to> British merchantmen; tho ' second is that the commercial flag of Germany is no longer afloat. These facts mean that Britain at present holds undisputed command of the sea. Her enemies' overseas trade has been practically annihilated, 'while her own shipping can make use of the ocean routes in comparative safety. There is no reason why the trade of the Empire should not now proceed with almost the same regularity as it did during the South African War. The swiftness and sureness with which the British Navy moved, and tho' completeness with which it has st> far "bottled up" and rendered useless Germany's great fleet bear'striking testimony to the readiness and strength/'of tho lih-' perial_ Fleet. The. result is that in the midstof the most" gigantic: strugglo the world has ever seen the commerce and industry of tho British Empire can go on almost without interruption. This is undoubtedly a tremendously significant -fact, and jt should fill every British community with the strongest hope and confidence. The outldok is better than the most inveterate optimise; could have believed to be possible in a war in which no fewer than four of the greatest Powers on earth were 'engaged.. Contrast the present posi, tion of the British JJmpire with that of Germany, ■ At one stroke the whole external commerce of Germany, valued at about £1,000,000,000 ayear, has been stopped'. The great fleet of warships'which she has constructed at; enormous cost lies idle in her. ports, and instead of protecting German commerce it has itself to seek shelter from the, attack of the enemy.. The groator'part of the male, population capable-of bearing arms'is being sent td tlic front,-while the industries of the country are almost at ,i standstill, aiyJ extreme difficulty is being experienced in getting sufficient labour to reap ; the harvests. The food, supplies must soon be seriously diminished, and the whole country been converted into something like an: armed camp. Everyone is naturally . anxious to know exactly what has happened, and what is now happening, in the North Sea. According to latest information there are signs of increased activity; but nothing definite or' decisive appears to have occurred. The Navy seems to be doing just what iiaval experts expected it would do in v a war like.the present. The fact that it has succeeded in keeping the enemy's fleet out of mischief, thereby openiilg the seas to ourselves and closing them to our adversaries, shows that it_ is "superior to tho. enemy at the critical point and moment.',' When one belligerent keeps hiS fleet, in fortified harbours,, tho only thing that the more power-'

ful .force can do is to establish, a blockade, and .watch' and wait; and this is what the British Fleet has done and is doing."- .