The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. COMMERCE DESTRUCTION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2377, 5 February 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. COMMERCE DESTRUCTION

Britain is not going to be intimidated by the decision of Germany to make a ruthless and indiscriminating attack on merchant ships by means of submarines. The enemy has already done a considerable amount of damage in this way, and will probably do more; but all that he can hope to achieve in the way of commerce destruction cannot possibly turn the tide of tho war in his favour. A message from Amsterdam states that "important sea events" are expected to happen in the near future, and that the German Ad- | miralty intends to make a great effort to prevent the transport of British troops and material to the Continent. It has issued a warning to peaceful shipping against approaching; the north-west coast of France owing to the danger of being mistaken for transports. The Germans have already grossly violated the rules of civilised warfare by sinking British merchantmen without notice and without first removing the crews or giving them a chance to take to the boats; but the world has now ceased to be surprised at any now method, however outrageous, they may adopt of showing their utter contempt for international law. They have become an outlaw nation, and must be treated as such. Britain and her Allies arc not only entitled, but may be compelled to take the most extreme measures that recognised naval and military law and custom will permit in order to retaliate effectively against the lawless conduct of a criminal adversary. If the Germans are going to sink merchant ships without regard to their nationality or the nature of their cargo, Britain would be fully justified in carrying out the suggestion of the Morning Post that everything that goes into Germany from overseas should be declared contraband. This would be a drastic step, but the circumstances demand drastic measures. It must be remembered that we are fighting an unscrupulous nation. which will stop _ at "nothing that is likely _ to help it or to ini'ure those against whom it is at war. Sritain cannot allow herself to be too strictly tied and bound by rules which the Germans systematically disregard without hesitation and without remorse.

The London Times tells us that the Admiralty will assuredly take steps to counteract the commerce-raid-ing activities of the German submarines. No doubt the matter is receiving the close attention of Lord Fisher and his colleagues, but this form of attack is extremely difficult to cope with. Our. -submarines cannot retaliate on the enemy's seaborne commerce, for it has already been annihilated as a result of Britain's naval supremacy. Compared with this great achievement the damage which the Germans can do to our commerce is as dust in tSe balance. Almost all their cruisers have now been swept from the high seas, and our Naval _ authorities will no doubt find effective means of dealing with the deadly under-water foe which is playing an increasingly important part in the present war. The fact that Germany has apparently resolved to make an indiscriminate attack by submarines on all merchant ships is a sign that she recognises that her. situation is becoming so 'desperate that nothing but desperate expedients can be of any avail.' She is probably playing her last card as far as commerce raiding is concerned, and is unquestionably making the most of her opportunities. And yet there can be no doubt that, as Mr. Hurd, the well-known naval writer, states, "commerce destruction by submarines is a confession of weakness. The Kaiser's_ submarines would not be wasting time sinking small merchant ships if they could sink warships." The Germans seem to have given up the hope of reducing Britain's sea power to the level of their own by the process of attrition on which their naval experts have laid so much stress. Captain Persius, the naval critic of the Berliner Tapeblatt, recently told the German people that they must be careful not to buoy themselves _ up with false estimates of the position, and must not' forget that, in spite of the success of their submarines, "there has not yet occurred any significant weakening of the sea power of England as a result of the war." It should always be borne in mind that commerce destruction is only a secondary matter in naval warfare. This is pointed out very forcibly by Admiral Mahan. The harassment caused by interference with commerce is, he says, "a most important secondary operation; but regarded as a primary and. fundamental measure sufficient in itself to crush an enemy, it is probably a delusion, and a most dangerous delusion when presented in the fascinating garb of cheapness to the representatives of a people." It has been laid down as an axiom that command of the sea is at once the best- defence for commeroe afloat and an indispensable condition for any such attack on it as is likely to have any appreciable effect in subduing tho enemy's will, which must be the main object in all warfare. While Britain's naval supremacy remains unchallenged, Germany's attacks on our commerce are simply pin-pricks, and wars are not won by pin-pricks, but by smashing blows. In referring to this aspect of naval warfare, Mr. J. R. Thursfield writes: If a bolligercnt not aiming at the command of tlio sea, and having "no sufficient naval force wherewithal to' secure it, thinks to cmsli his enemy by directing sporadic attacks on his commerce, he will, if history is any guide, soon find out his mistake. His naval forces available for this purpose are, by the hypothesis, inferior to those of the enemy. It is certain that they will, sooner or later, l>o hunted down and destroyed. Moreover, tho mercantile " a K the weaker belligerent will, as I have shown, disappear from tho scji from -the, very outset of the conflict: and the maritime commerce of .such a belligerent must be of very insignificant volume if the loss entailed by its suppression is not greater than that likely to be inflicted by such a belligerent on the enemy's commerce which crosses the sens under the aegis of a flag which commands thorn. The above words wero written before the present struggle commenced, but they accurately state the position as it now exists. In spite of the- raiding exploits of German cruisers and fltihra&ruvMi Britain's l r-nperiov sea .power is exerting an economic pres*

sure which is surety strangling tho onemy, and the British Navy is ready to do battlo with tho German fleet whenever it chooses to eomo. out from its hiding-place.