TAKING STOCK OF THE NAVAL BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2792, 9 June 1916, Page 5

TAKING STOCK OF THE NAVAL BATTLE

RESULTS REVIEWED BY THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY AND ALSO BY THE KAISER By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright 4 wssfs tspsa the-Empire, but because it includes the Dominions* contributionswho had the happiness of taking part in the victorious encasement" attention of the civilised world hud been concentrated 011 the event to the North Sea. Admiral Jellicoe s dispatch had not vet been received Thn mg from innumerable sources the relative fads t™. « ."? f ,9° llat : the dispatch would have occujded the tiL of, ZSfkLwnt 2!°J ° f Admiral Jellicoe Until tho dispatch **\vaiUoho® Wt discussion of details neither quarrel with the German g As to the estimated comparative losses there werp Tin rlm.w-. wti <. 1 1 told tho whole truth, and had not concealed mw £s It - fJ? 04 we "! <l that falsification began on the German aide hours 'before the Admiralty receded the first message from Admiral Jellicoe. He had iust seen t fie-n,.,,! eage to New York, claiming the loss of «ioC been safely in port since Thursday. 'It was futile to discuss the ■sitnntinn ,-Uo„ h testimony of one side was obviously tainted. ? situation when tho That First Report. Mr. Balfour admitted that he himself was entirely responsible for the* method ™ tc U 'i /E Admiral Jellicoo's first telegram was received at i o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, and intimated that an action was imminent and tho fleets had sighted one another. Tho Admiralty did not receive a further tele"il3m from the Admiral until Friday afternoon, when it was immediately communicated to the newspapers. Admiral Jellicoe was norblameworthy. Ho had such tremendous responsibilities, and tTio strain had not relapsed for two nights and Unity-six, hours after driven' the Germans to port. The information was obviously mcomprte, but it was all Admiral Jelliooo could fiirnish. Undoubtedll fuller facts would have made a better impression, but he conceived it was Tight to let the public know the.best or worst. The Gormans were never so iL im. mediately sending out wireless messages to the wide world, regardless of tho truth Admiral Jellicoe s second telegram, at Friday midnight, showed that more ships lmd leturned, and gave fuller devils of the German lossos. In view of that teleafann con G1 that the newspapers had conveyed a-n unnecessary shock and Mr. Balfour said he, was sorriest for tho men of the Fleet. They had returned bitterly disappointed at not having, caught the whole German fleet when there had been an opportunity-for a crushing defeat. Nevertheless, they were con SSTiMfT »c pl aßr ***** ly and fairly with the public, I shall have nothing to regret. The German Headquaitors has always known our naval superiority, but fostered the idea that wo nero skulking behind our defences, refusing to come out and meet the valorous ™batfle D ' 18 extraordln<iril y inconsistent with the German acWhy did They Run Away? "If the German Fleet inflicted those groat losses, why did tbev not, like evorv successful general, seek to improve the occasion and press their advanta»o'to the utmost? llie most amazing part of the German story is that, after their wonderful success, they ran away. Yet there was m ucli bunting flying in Berlin • "Tho only purpose of the raids on the East Coast was to keep up tho spirits of tho German poople, and to preserve the illusion of German superiority. The German admirals, well knoiving their inferior ity, Droforrcd to withdraw sirther tlnn risk destrnction. Some people argued that tlie battle was indecisive. Undoubtedly fprtuno was against us, tho weather preventing Sir John Jellicoo compelling the whole German Fleet to accept action, and enabling a defeat such that nobody could deny that it was decisive. The Gorman strength is now relatively much inferior to what it was before the battle. Tho High Seas Fleet will be unablo for many months to cany out any contemplated -undertaking. The battlo was a real victory, not an indecisive one. We Carried Off the Honours. "Wo carried off the honours, reaping substantial fruits in three most important naval considerations, namely, the blockade, invasion, and 6ea trade. The Germans' situation is worse. The battle enabled us to increase the grip of tho blockade The problem of invasion is as difficult for tho Kaiser as it was for Philip the Second of Spain, and another of Germany's unfulfilled war dreams has been dissipated for ever. Our power to uphold our commcrce romains oomplete, and it is, more than ever, impossible for Germany to rehabilitate her mercantile position, which was built up by laborious and costly organisation before she rashly 1 entered upon hostilities "Looking broadly at tho facts, we ore justified in regarding tho Imponal rkvy with even greater confidcnco lintf hope of triumph than we did ten days aco" (Cheers.) 6 ' AMAZING SPEECH BY THE KAISER' "FEAR WILL CREEP INTO THE ENEMY'S BONES." ' rn, r- • , , a v- . T „. , ~ ~ Amsterdam, June 7. Ihe Kaiser, on board a flagship at Kiel, addressed detachments from the vessels which participated in tho battle. Tho Kaiser said: "While my army was conquering enemy after enemy, the fleet waited vainly for a fight. Numerous isolated deeds manifested tho heroic spirit of the navy, but its hour had not struck. Proposal after proposal was vainly made to bring the enemy into the held. Finally 'The Day' came. Tho gigantic fleet of Albion, which since Trafalgar had imposed on the world tho-bail■ of sea tyranny, and surrounded herself with tho nimbus of invincibility, ca me into the field." Jts Admiral almost 111610 than anyone, enthusiastically admired tho German Fleet lie its brain and leader, leading splendid material, the bravest veteran sailors of the British Armada, approached our fleet and engaged it. "What happened? The British Fleet was beaten by the first great hammerblow struck, and the • nimbus of British world supremacy disappeared. Tho news rushed around the world like an electric spark, causing unprecedented jubilation wherever German hearts beat and among our Allies. You have opened a new chapter in the history of the world. The German Fleet defeated a superior British fleet. God Almighty, steeled your arms and kept your eyes clear, but I,' your supreme War Lord, thank you fro m the bottom of my heart in tho name of the Fatherland. The Army of Verdun had begun to collapse, and our Allies were driving the Italians from mountain to mountain. The world was prepared for almost anything, but not a German victory over the British Navy. A start has been made, and fear will creep into the enemy's bones. You have done this sd that tho Fatherland may for all time have a frco way on tho seas for its industry and strength."