THE WAR AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 208, 28 May 1919, Page 7

THE WAR AT SEA

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT SPEECH BY LORD JELLICOE (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright Adelaide, May 27. Admiral Lord .Tellicoe, speaking at a Parliamentary luncheon in his honour, detailed tho difficulties of dealing with the submarine menace and the great work J accomplished by the British Navy and mercantile, marine. He said ho had very serious anxietv in (he early davs of the war as to wliat the result" would be. He did not hesitate to .say that if the German submarines had been manned by British sailors not a British ship would have been left afloat. It was an extraordinarily easy task, and the way the Germans failed over it showed a want of initiative and dash which, to his surprise, the German fleet showed throughout the war. There was never much anxiety, continued Lord' Jellicoe; regarding the Germans' surface fleet; but distinguished raiders were difficult to tackle. "If the Germans bad liked they could have sent out a hundred. Thank goodness, they failed to realise how easy it was." The lessou to be learned from the war was simple. It was to be ready. 'We- had, no doubt, long years of peace before us, but he would not trust the destinies of the Empire to anybody but the British Navy, backed by the valuable assistance of the great overseas Do-minions.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.