The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANAUARY 20, 1915. THE INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 190, 20 January 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANAUARY 20, 1915. THE INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER.

Shortly before the close of the yoar .> 1:11-1 there passed away an authority on naval matters who, by means of his numerous treatises on all matters (practical and historical) concerning maritime affairs, has probably influenced his contemporaries to a greater extent tlian any previous historian. 'Admiral Malum, of the U.S. Xavv, did what the scholarly historian of the present day has almost ceased to dream of doing, lie broke in ilium a mass of accumulated facts, and succeeded by clear thinking and a hold power of generalisation in illuminating much that was obi-cure in their cornice- i tioii ami can-ation. Jt is somewhat re- ' markablii that Mahan was the first .' ;-ailor with a literary gift and a trained ' historical to bring his terlinicsil knowing- ;o briii' on tlif fotcrprutal'iou of tin* jut-i. probably th:<> in ■/<>ntc nu'ji-.->ii !'i* i(; ;in iiilji'vii m 1 iV.culiy. hi-;' fjitlwr iiriii;: i'i'M'c-.-or of M.ililary i-ji-liiii(• i• t illat: thi l ?.:i!i;ai'y ■ A»-aii( in). *X'i'iiti-vt*r may have in'cn tilt l cailst;. the r.'-n]f. v/its r-tlirl bi:'i■ iiiu-1 ruii'il his main tlursi:-; '.*» lii'-i: V.',|> a- to Colli.ill <'<!ue<iiwi n:.-:; \v!in \h'nl: ar. all, al)'>at lire ma.!:;!!;: and iiuanii.i;:l_' of i sap !':•.• i<r ' 1 1! i! at! in tipo; i:i;ii- ; ,voh o, .■ n\ jiouc" ;! . aii ''pi;-, i'rom the .S'.ra-I'U-nUi ; : i ion a.ii'l the Pm-ir \ »11ro I .;;'.iii- ('rn ihi' I)ut<•!i and S?j]i -h v.ar . i'ov.'n io iar i/rsiwri!;.!" (['.'• !-ii.ii,[rai.io:i ,;i' a.nd la- iirliu-u to it; i'H ; . 't V. a,: dui'iliL' ilia liiiirr .-nth notary tin- m-i-d . am! finictioii ot' 1 1 ( 1 Aavy lu-tanic an ainU: coiitrovt rv\\ cliiciiy with to llio ali'i'i.y of th" !!'■(•!"■ (o pvoici-t, livitlsb 'a!- it wa- tin- inilnciii.'i- of boo!'- t.iiai, drew atirnUoi l . to ia.' fur la.r;:'r uiabTlyinr;' ■ i!u» '••'V 1 ; "! t',.- X.fvy. Sen aovviT is tin; polr-iTii 1 oi tlif hci'!! an;' t. 1 ". i' i-: . iii' ' uiloicd develop-::-M ■. Inrr lia-. eari-iu.l IIK; ii".o ■}■•/ - a. ::nd r to otrr rnii' .m't.ii, j■'>ii; oa •. oi every contii t MaJiau -us to see thai; t!u 1 • :;i-oi lailia -.va • mainly a navai i t a.:. '. tlia Sxatli Afiv an war tauulii us 'laai. In ••pile all >!n.-rieoiain^s

"..njd ignore 1:0' jn-ar'y ;:nani:a.iU, s*»n----r-iae!it tit' die i'on l :)a-!ii: in that war. "h !y i ; c:a.n-' v.' h-'M the comnnii the sea, 11-e of that p eon-t. VII V' e'i iniiariisc ability to l'C-:-r attack, a,nd considerable. wpoHuiiili. •• i'«.r iiii:' attacks tbat ><aid !;<; ja : 'i f.>f (li,. j (IJI . t:e)l t-l ! ' h- ! <,. j in- Kr;;-;. \,. \\- ; i .-. \blban wiio Li • "■'!e 1 !»,. eoiai't.l'ia.Me am) ;ii;iri: ri-li'd inaxiai that the aa V . old;, a v. ea (if defence, .> e i a\a oidy I-K-h al a'-t.-y * ■ Tad o:a i a 1 i lia* i> i 11 ; ' \j o; i c". ll)'/ ,\ avy ha.-; Lean ; .'i.aa 11 ly i la- ilioti <-f .Enijdre, rie! <;:aan; did iint fail to iis;i.i it,-; ' • for -tia-.r parpo-r-, for tin.'.■■oiiv.' wI.K-ii expl.iiii? the rise oi' the n-oda rn ( ~: nan iia\\ the le-aou <lea v : •' ■ v -'.aa. 1' i a--"a, po-wer i;; a t 1:11; ! . a>; id . nijiire. ha was !)V \av\' I-'■ i•; i, j• • ■:i:i:11 ;\oii Jh-r and jt is liy iiu- Navy Iliad, tli'i- Kmpirc ■ ladalned and exjianded. There is j niiieii in the eour.se of {he present war i

in eoniirm Mafjan-. teaeibni,' about seapower. Tt has enabled us to wait in safety while we delay our final stroke. It helped "Britain in safety to throw her forces oh the ('ontiiii-iit, ami in safety to bring up reinforcements from the ends of the earth, as well as to inflici heavy loss on- the enemy's trade, while snU'crinj; only slightly in the prokev as the expedition to Basrah, but. above all, it ha» given the Empire the .elm assurance that, even if the early j phases of the campaign iu France had ;j(,ue disastrously ill, I'esisiance could ' ::;t\ e been proloiyd. ami new strength ! , itiTiiniulatrd. MfJin\v!)i]i; tin* Grj'iiian 5

colonics have !icrii assailed with com- I j-arativi* immunity, and though some ' !"s-: aas 'ieee--ar;v If: 11 inflicted on| -hi;,-. VM th ' sir-n s.iac.v of the • N'a >•• is -til! unquestioned. Tti spite of! t ] -e new ceiiilii ,-r,n:-■.>lllu■ ]i( nri ,e ; of mines, hydroplanes, and sab- ' marines, sea-power is still a condition j of ueccs-ful warfare on a world-wide ! theatre, and is still (die bus's of world- ' empire. j t ! ?> "sa ' J d: ; ijed , 'el | ■ ' i:':'. 1 -a ! : ii ■" i r. : ■ Ve. . ea'i b< ■■■■■'' ! a" a a i< e. ■■ -\"r irca (8 fid -• ' ■ ?7