TASK OF THE GERMAN NAVY

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 31 January 1917, Page 6

TASK OF THE GERMAN NAVY

SUPREMACY OF BRITAIN. APOLOGETIC ARTICLES. Three articles entitled “The Tasks of the German Navy in the World War,” were supplied to the German press a few weeks ago by Captain Ilollweg, who succeeded Captain Boy-Ed as head of the German Naval Press Bureau, when the latter came to Washington as naval attache. Captain Hollwcg is evidently the author of a pamphlet, mentioned in cable messages a few days ago, in which he excuses the inactivity j of the German licet on the ground that an offensive against the British licet would be “heroic madness.” “In accordance with the risk principle it was never the task of the German navy in war or in peace time, to dispute —much less win for herself — the naval supremacy held by England in all parts of the word, ’ ’ Captain Hollweg wrote in November, “For that we lacked many things which, apart from a war navy, constitute the elements of sea power. The German navy could all the less set herself such a task in the present war, because the English had not her own coaling stations, ports, bases and cables but those of all the vassal states—France, Portugal, Italy, Japan etc. In so far as Germany’s Avarships were abroad at the beginning of the war, they fulfilled the cruiser duties in the best possible way. It was obvious that their career could only be short.” In his second article. Captain Holl>\cg dilates on the “unfairness” of the geographical position of the British Isles, and asks whether the Germans can be expected to be so stupid as to bo go out and “wait with exhausted supplies of fuel until the superior English fleet does them the honour, first of weakening them by resources of small warfare, then of shooting them down without risk at long range with superior power of numbers and guns. “To sum up, the German fleet has not claimed to set aside English world supremacy in the war. It never said that it could easily destroy the English fleet, which is twice a& strong as itself. It -wanted to be, and is, a permanent and severe risk for the enemy. The English fleet deliberately avoids the decisive battle.”