NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 148, 18 March 1919, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

Tire Grand Fleet was dispersed at the end of January last. It was done quietly, without any, fuss or demonstration, as is the way of the Navy. Including the American units it was at that date a fleet of something like 380 vessels, .with com- I plements of 100,000 men." Admiral Beatty, at a farewell function at Edinburgh, stated that the ships of the licet'were about to separate to take up their old peace-time duties of policing the seas, and he seized the occasion to pay a tribute to tho men of the Navy, which met with the enthusiastic reception it so well deserved. It is worthy of note that in spite of the efforts of Germany in the way of building monster submarines it now transpires that Britain was in the lead in this respect as in all others so far as sea mastery is concerned. The British Ml was by far the most powerful armed submarine ever constructed. She was laid down in 1914, but her completion was delayed. She was armed with a 12-inch gun, weighing 40 tons, firing a shell of 850lb. In fact, the Ml has been described as a monitor with the faculty of approaching a target unseen and submerging and vanishing after she had delivered her attack. The heaviest gun mounted m any German submarine was the 6-inch of about five tons weight and firing a shell of 1001b.

Tim good old German "will to win," which was heard so much of at various stages' of the war'sis the psychological factor which was to carry the Huns on to victory, is still' a popular idea in Germany. The Berlin correspondent of. the JJnil-n Mail gives an interesting account iif an effort by the German authorities towards the end of January to imprest) the world and intimidate the Allies in order to secure the immediate return of German prisoners of war. The correspondent in question tells how the decision was arrived at to browbeat the Allies by a maximum of noise, and then quotes how what the Americans - call "the Big Noise" was to be thundered forth. It wassct out in Vorwtwrls, now a_ semi-official Government publication, as follows:—

"hi Germany there must be gigantic mass meetings of prisoners' relatives.

I'hi'sn Hirelings must (jive fervent expression to the emotions that are- loar--111.? at thfl German nation's soul, fiesolntions adopted must lie published broadcast in Iho newspapers of the universe, regardless of their political complexion. Neutrals and enemy Governments, especially .America, must be notified by wireless, The tiling is to stir Iho conscience of the whole world. The will of the united German people must bo .made 10. reverberate around the globe. Mankind must hnow that the enemy's un-heard-of treatment of our prisoners will inevitably create an lmijiienehablc hatred throughout the German nation and destroy the great idea of a pence of reconciliation."

The united German people appear to have made a rather feeble response to this impassioned appeal. They may do better in their attempt to shriek down the peace terms.

"The proceedings were most precise and frigid in character." So runs the report of the meeting at which Germany abandoned hope of retaining the balance of her mercantile fleet. It is not surprising that the proceedings should have been frigid, for at the head of the Allied representatives was the head of the British Admiralty in the closing stages of the war! The British sailor, from the admiral of the fleet to cabin boy, clothes himself in an icy atmosphere when he comes in contact with anything representative of Hun piracy. When the German fighting ships were taken over the thing which penetrated deepest into the self-esteem of German officers and sailors was the cold - aloofness, of their conquerors in accepting their surrender. The transfer of the .German mercantile fleet to the Allies is a big event, marking the complete abandonment by Germany, for the time being at least, of all hopes pi conducting an economic war against her conquerors. Many German prisoners captured in the closing stages of. the war admitted that the Central Powers then had no prospects of success in the military field. They were beaten and knew it. "But," said one of their number, a University man, captured early in September of _ last year, "though we have lost this war, we will win the economic war that is to follow. Yes,, our plans are laid; we will win the economic war." Germany never expected to lose her mercantile fleet. Her rulers were thrown into a frenzy of anger when the United States Government took possession of the German steamers in American ports and used them to transport troops to France. German submarines were specially told off to endeavour to sink the larger of these vessels, and desperate chances were taken, and more than one submarine was lost in the endeavour to torpedo the largest of all the great German ocean liners, the Vaterland. Now Germany is called on to pay the price she can least afford to payas a penalty for her undersea piracy: It is a just if inadequate retribution.