SILENT GERMAN FLEET.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1736, 10 July 1917, Page 1

SILENT GERMAN FLEET.

THE REASON WHY. WHAT THE TEUTONS CLAIM. Germany's so-called High Seas Fleet is the great barrier standing in the way of attempts by the allied fleets to raid the submarine “nests” along the Gorman coast or to block the exits through which the underwater commerce destroyers leave their bases, according to statements made by Captain von Kuhlwetter, a. naval writer, in a long article in the Kolnisehe Zeitung of April 24th, entitled, “On ‘Silence’ in the Naval War.” In the course of this article, which is extonsvely quoted in the London press, Captain von Kuhlwetter says:— “Of course, we also keep silence about many things. We are silent about the far-seeing cal 1 t i and arrangements which enalded our submarines to appear jmncUuil!y at the Dardanelles, and winch transferred the centre of the submarine war now to the Mediterranean, now to the Atlantic, and now to the Arctic. “We are silent as to where and how the iron arms of our submarine war are applied; with lists of steel, they grip the trade roads of our enemy and pitilessly seize all that moves on forbidden paths. We are silent about the gigantic organisation which is necessary in order to bring out into the North Sea and the ocean our troops of submarines in Tinbroken succession, without one of them getting into the way of another, and to guide them back into our ports for rest and preparation for a new fight. “We are silent almost about the untiring and exacting work of our High Seas Fleet, which supplies the indispensable support for everything that is dime in the North Sea. But for the High Seas Fleet, enemy forces in adequate strength could at any time approach so near to our gates of exit that these gale's could be locked by use of the innumerable resources of naval warfare. But for the High Seas Fleet, England could really ‘put her battle Heel out,of commission and employ many thousands of useful sailors for other purposes for which there is bitter need of them. Day alter day, month after month, year after year, the High Seas Fleet is ready to nip in the laid every attempt to approach our gates of exit. “Over in Great Britain they have coined the phrase of the fleet that works in silence. With the best will in the world they cannot report anything about their (led, because it does nothing, and so is really silent. “The commander-in-chief has been changed, and an admiral, Avho is equipped with the halo of pushfulness and is popular with the Heel, has been put at its head, in order to make the public hope that (he licet is unceasingly searching for the enemy and burning to add new laurels to the laurels of the Skagerrak. The credulous are supplied ever afresh with the fairy tale that the German fleet cannot be found in the North Sea, and will not be found in the future unless the successes of the allied armies make its base untenable, and Ilindenburg, in overexcitement or despair, forces the ships to the battle of desperation.”