THE NAVAL DISASTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 103, 24 September 1914, Page 4

THE NAVAL DISASTER.

The ffrat serious loss sustained by the British Nary is the sinking in the North Sea of throe cruisers of tlio seventh cruiser squadron, the Aboukir, Oressy, and the Hogue, by two German submarines. Details are very meagre. The one satisfactory feature of the disaster is that the submarines paid tho deatli penalty for their exploit, but that no doubt would be cheerfully paid by any German seamen at the present time if by so doing they could achieve the same result. To reduce tho strength of tho infesting British fleet is the policy of the Germany Navy, which knows better than to risk a decisive action with the odds so much against them. The submarine is a deadly instrument of warfare, and its possibilities for mischief are tremendous. It is tho conviction o ! Admiral Sr Percy Scott that in uavil wars of the present and future the submariuo will play a bigger part than heavily clad battleships and armored cruisers, but the men at the head of the liritish Navy do not share his viows. They have argued that the present effective range of tho submarine 'a limited to 200 miles, and tiiafc the battleship's can manoeuvre to keep beyond their radius, and in case of closer work can rely on their own submarines keeping watch and guard. What has happened in the North Sea we are not told. Did the ill-fated squadron attempt a second Heligoland dash? Fossibty. if the squad-

the game time, it has to be remembered that Britain has a huge fleet of these submarine monsters which can be relied upon to do their share in the grim work ahead. The loss of three valuable cruisers is to be deplored, but in a war to the death, like this is, we must be prepared for disasters as well as successes on land and sea. Disasters 'aa.ro never disheartened the British nation; they have but served to steel her to greater efforts and strengthen her determination to win at whatever cost.