The Dominion. MONDAY, MAT 1, 1916. A NEUTRAL SURVEY OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2759, 1 May 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, MAT 1, 1916. A NEUTRAL SURVEY OF THE WAR

The news, which we publish £o-day regarding the loss of a British battleship in the Mediterranean and the sinking of two German submarines directs our attention onco again to, the naval side of the war. The submarine controversy and the shelling of Scarborough by German warships also remind us of tho fact that sea power is playing a tremendously important part in this war, though nothing approaching a supreme trial of strength between the British and German fleets has yet taken place. But that is not the fault of the British Navy. Some authorities contend that the work which has. been done, and is being done, by our ships and sailors will eventually prove to have been the deciding factor in the achievement of final victory. The loss of the H.M.S.-. Russell, followed by the surrender of General Townshend and his men, must sadden British hearts, but such adversities will also make the British Empire more determined than ever, to fight this ivar to a triumphant finish. The present is one of those "moments of transient gloom" referred to by "0.5." in a recent issue of Punch:

Sueh moments, making Hope look bleak, Au<l Couruge turn a little blue, Even with hearts as touch as teak

May well occur; but, when they do, This thought will re.-uljust your bile And prove the best of appetisers:— Would I exchungc (here's where you smile) Out chances with the Kaiser's? A. well-known American writer (Me. Frank H. Simonds) has lately cmnpared "our'chances with the Kai.ser's," and he thinks that, mainly owing to the overwhelming power of tho .British Navy, "Germany ■ must ultimately go to London and ask for peace." Mr. Simonds, in a striking article in tho American Review, gives weighty reason's 'in support of this opinion. Ho is in a position to survey the colossal conflict from tho standpoint of the onlooker —and an impartial and intelligent onlooker often sees things more clearly and comprehensively than those who are in the midst of the . strife. Mn. Simonds tells us that attention has been fixed upon land victories which have not been decisive, while the victory of sea power has not only been immediately decisive on its, own clement, but is daily contributing to reverse the actual situation 011 land. He goes on to state that up to the present the British Navy lias accomplished all that Nelson accomplished and a little more. It has abolished German maritime commcrce; it has destroyed the German warships and uncler-sea boats that have ventured within reach; it has given to British commerce and to British transport the safe use of the sea. In some of his judgments on points of detail (more especially as regards tho submarine campaign), Mr. Simonds may be more optimistio than the facts warrant, but, taken as In. whole, hw. nresantatiior* ol thn

now it is doubtful whether the British public fully understands or adequately appreciates the achievements of our Navy. The terrific clash of armies occupies such a large share of attention that the enormously potent, though mainly silent, activities of the fleet are apt to be valued at less than their true worth.

Germany has made large conquests on land. It is foolish to attempt to belittle her successes. Sho has had many successes, though she has nowhere succecded. But she has lost the sea. The desperate savagery of her submarine campaign does not alter this vital fact. Me. Su'ionds strikes the balance in this way: "In effect, Germany has occupied Warsaw, Lille, and Belgrade, only to lose Hamburg and Bremen, which are to all intents and purposes in British hands,. sincc they cannot be used by Germany." Tho British blockade may not be as complete and effective as it should be. but it is undoubtedly proving a most deadly weapon"" against, the Central Powers. In one of Mr. Louis Baemaker's famous war cartoons the British blo.ckade is dopicted in tho shape of a great hydraulic press, by of which Nemesis is inevitably, if slowly, overtaking the Germans. The press is bending the Kaiser to his, knees, and bending his sword to the breaking. What the neutral cartoonist expresses in picture, Mr. Simonds, another neutral, expresses in words. He does not believe that the German people are starving or in immediate danger of starving. But the existence of hardship is revealed in many ways, and there is shortage of certain thing? essential in war. Yet it is possible to believe that another year or two of war would not exhaust German material or reduce tho nation to starvation.

On the other hand (writes 111'. Simonds), it must bo recognised that Gormanv's men are limited. She lias already lost seven men for one of the British', and l'.ci' population is but C 7,000,000 against more than 60,000,000 for Britain aiul her, white colonies. Financially the war is costing her, with advances to her allies, almost dollar for dollar with the British, and she has no sue!) resources of accumulated capital as Britain upon which.to draw. She is. in. fact, mortcrngim; her future beyond imagination, while Britain is still drawing upon herpast. The rapid decline of German credit in the open market of tho i\ orld, the neutral markets, is perhaps a fair evidence of what the world thinks of the German financial situation.

Germany has failed to cripple materially any of her great opponents. Prance still holds her ground with a determination and courage that has won the admiration of the world; Russia has made a wonderful recovery; Italy is gradually battering her way into Austria from the south; and the fighting strength of the Bri-. tish Empire is steadily, increasing. Me. Simonds makes a good point when ho reminds us that, though tho German conquests make a formidable showing! on the map, yet how much more impressive is the.showing of the British conquests if you colour the sens to indicate them. Germany lias so far captured nothing that can give her a basis for bar' gain with Britain; "and what Britain holds makes all Germany's conquests of little value." Me. Simonds's review of the sifcution. as a whole leads him' to tho conclusion that "unless Germany can outlast .Britain, or find some exercise compulsion upon Britain, she must ultimately go to London and ask for peace, because she m\<pt ultimately resume her sea commerce, she must ultimately use tho oceans." The pressure of our sea power cudnot to resisted indefinitely, but it may take a ,long time to reduce Germany to a state of economic exhaustion, and every effort must bo made to beat her 011 land as well as on sea as quickly as possible. To do this all the military resources of tho British Empire must be thrown into the scale. There must be no holding back. It is folly to shut our eyes to unpleasant facts and pretend to believe that all is going well. Optimism of this sort is as bad as pessimism. Reverses like the surrender of Genekai, Townphend should mate un set our teeth and steel our hearts, unshakably resolved that nothing shall bo allowed to rob us of such a decisive victory in the end as will more than recompense us for all the sacrifices we have made and all the disappointments we have sufferedWe would be unworthy to be callcd Britishers if we were content with anything less than this.