The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1915. GERMANY'S DESPERATE CONCLUSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 212, 15 February 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1915. GERMANY'S DESPERATE CONCLUSION.

On the sea Germany's only successes hav e been with the submarine and the "lino (writes the Auckland Star). The danger of the mine has been counteracted by heroic British mine-sweepers, and by the driving of the German minesowers from th e seas. The submarine remains a danger,, but It is easy to exaggerate its possibilities; in fact, it may be taken for granted that it is because of its reduced efliciency against the 'British Xavy that it is now being used in Germany's ruthless war on mer. cnant shipping. It is unquestionably true, as Sir Percy Scott pointed out before the war, that an island with many harbors and much shipping is at a great disadvantage if the enemy has submarines. The loss of the Pathfinder, Hermes, and Formidable testify to this. It is worth noting, however, that wellinformed naval writers attribute the sinking of the Aboukir, Cressy, Hogue, anil Hawke not to the skilful manipulation of submarines, but to the treacherous use of neutral flags, and it was shown at Heligoland, and later on tho occasion of Admiral Beatty's recent victory in the Xorth Sea, that British warships can be manoeuvred with safety in the presence of the enemy's submalinos. Ihy weakness of the submarine is that the torpedo tube, which on a destroyer can be trained like a gun, is fixed. Because of this the submarine must be manoeuvred to bring the torjiulo on tlie target. Since the beginning of the war many British warships, attacked by submarines, have found safety in rapid movement. The German submarine has had its successes, but those have been more than counterbalanced by British achievements with gunfire, and on the whole Germany's submarine successes have only served t- emphasise the failure of her original naval plan, whien was to so reduce the strength of the British Xavy by mines ami submarines that the German fleet might hope to fight and win. It is the collapse of this scheme that has led Germany to the desperate conclusion that her last hope on the sea lies in an effort to make her submarines a terror to merchant seamen. All British seamen will realise that Germany's action has increased the peril of the sea. Every eare will be taken by them to avoid umgerous courses, and to escape the tupedo. But the idea that Germany can sensibly affect Great Britain's trade or blockade her ports while the British Navy is alloat could only gain currency and credence in deluded Germany. Nothing would be more acceptable to British navy men than that Germany should attempt a blockade by the use of her whole navv. She is not likely to try this, hut all of her submarines may he employed. These numbered at the beginning 0 f the war about thirty-four, including a few which were not com-

pletc, liut were nearly so. Since then some lmsty additions may have l>een made to tin: fleet, but at least eight submarines are known to have been sunk, and several others are missing. Strangely enough, the craft with whic.l (normally lias won her only successes was the one to which she was a late comert. Two-thirds of her submarines are comparatively small and slow, but the latest additions, numbering perhaps twelve, are large and modern, and as they can trawl 2000 sea miles without replenishing their oil tanks, they may v. ork far from their base. Submarines are dillicult to light with gun-firr, but the records of the war show that they are not invulnerable. All the re-

?onrces of tile I'ritisli Xavv will lie employed ill neutralising tlieir action, and ill submarines llritiiin is nearly throo times us strong as dcrinanv. (Iroat T'iritain ran await calmly tile threatened blockade. Jler unchallenged lleot controls tile seas, and if retaliatory measures are decided upon can ed'ectually put a stop to Ormaiiys sea-borne

trade. With tills, prospect in front of her Germany may, as is indicated by the conditional assurance given to the United States, be disposed to listen to the protests of neutrals. If not, tile British Umpire can rely with confidence, now as ever, on the invincible British Navy.