THE NAVAL POSITION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 43, 22 February 1915, Page 4

THE NAVAL POSITION.

The Auckland Star, reviewing the naval position, concludes that, so far the war has been a great naval triumph for England. The enemy has simply run away, leaving us with the spoils of victory. Nor does it seem conceivable that any unforeseen developments can possibly affect the balance of power on the high seas later on. Indeed there is every reason to believe that, as Mr Churchill has said, the immense power of the British fleets can be exercised with even .greater effect to the detriment of the enemy if circumstances so demand. Touching upon Germany’s campaign of piracy and murder, the Star says:—The British fleets will not be employed in sinking neutral ships and drowning helpless non-combatants, but iu cutting off absolutely Germany’s communications with the outer world. It mupt not be forgotten that England has not yet attempted to prevent neutrals from trading with Germany so long as they do not carry contraband, either absolute or conditional. But the threat of an indiscriminate attack upon all vessels caught in British coastal waters or trading with England, if it has no other effect, proves that • nothing but the sternest measures are adequate to convince the Germans that even their colossal arrogance is helpless before the resentment of a justly indignant world. We do not believe, in any case, that the Germans can do much more harm than they have done at sea, even if they decide to “run amok” at neutral as well as British commerce. Our Navy can he trusted to look after our merchantmen, and if it exerts its full strength to cut off the whole of Germany’s oversea trade, it can provide a most effectual remedy for the furious attack of homicidal insanity by which the whole German nation seems to have been seized.