The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1916. ON THE SEA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 80, 10 March 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1916. ON THE SEA.

The statements from Holland (winch have since been repeated with greater detail) to the effect that a German fleet is taking to water alter its long, long skulk in Kiel Harbor, is, to Britishers all the world over, news'almost i too good to be believed. Certainly if,' as the Dutchmen allege, a fleet of ail least fifty German warships is really | on the seas, there will be no possibil- ! ity of giving the British Navy the goby, as some stray raiders may have done, assisted by good luck and the cunning disguise of a peaceful trader. It is, at any rate, known that foi some time there lias been a bitter controversy between the army heads and the navy heads of Germany. Von TirpiU, at the head of the German 1 fleet, has a reasonable notion of its 1 powers, falkenhayn and his follow-' ing, however, have never trod a quar-ter-deck, and the mysteries of a sei-' light would puzzle them completely. ! It is alleged, according to current' opinions, that the army party, ii, itanxiety to cripple the Allies' land

forces mid to prevent their being brought back to Flanders, wants the ileet to tight. This -;t->p j they suggest would result in such an interference with the Allies' naval superiority in the Mediterranean that the Germanic Powers might even seize at least a temporary naval command in those waters; which they very rightly say would, if it came off as Germany hopes, be a very serious matter for the Allies, and helpful in the western offensive. While such a theory may seem foolish on the ground that the German General Stuff, us soldiers and land campaigners, are not in the habit of making mistakes other than' those which other General Staffs in a similar predicament would also make, it has to be remembered that they know exceedingly little about naval matters. Blunders as absurd have happened in and according to one authority which professes to give .a summary of European views* the Emperor has had to intervene in (lis- 1 ;putes which arose between the mili- • '" ■ ■*.«!

! tary magnates and the sea-dogs be |cause the latter objected to the-Gen- ' oral Staff's naval campaign. a,s imp ssible and preposterous. To the Staff's idea of using the fleet in the North Sea to cripple the Allies in the Mediterranean was attributed the occasional sorties of German ships. Tirpitz is alleged to have told the Kaiser that if the General Staff's idea was carried out, there would be no High Sea Fleet left. Be that as it may, and what-' ever the outcome the Empire and the Navy ask for nothing hotter than a real naval battle in the North Sea. Whether the General Staff or von Tirpita's confidence in Germany's long' hottled-up navy is at the bottom of the present promised apearance, does not matter in the slightest—so long as the ships come out and give battle. | But we frankly confess that even now' we cannot believe they will. I