ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

GERMANY'S SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN. REASONS FOR RENEWAL. BRITAIN INFLUENCING NEUTRALS A FREE lIAXD CLAIMED. Kccoiveil July 20, p.m. London, July 20. There has been a remarkable' recrudescence of submarine activity, nearly a dozen vessels having been sunk during tiie past twenty-lour hours. The change was not announced, but some light is thrown on the matter by the latest German newspapers. The Morning Post's Berne correspondent calls attention to a semi-official article in the Lokal Anzeiger, calculated to cheer up the advocates of the former mill less methods. It discusses the abrogation of the Declaration of London, and suggests thai England may use her power to force neutrals to adopt an unfriendly, and, if possible, a hostile attitude towards Austro-Germany, arid that would Ultimately mean that all Austria's and Ormany's frontiers would be closed. If such a situation arose Germany would probably reconsider a cessation of the submarining* which were ordered out of consideration for the United States and other neutrals, with the object of preserving friendly feelings towards Germany. Tn the event of England succeeding in inducing neutrals to adopt an attitude of active or pass've hostility towards Germany, one important reason for the decision ns < cessation, arrived at in the sprint' of DiC, would have ceased to exist. The I'ri.isli press consider that in view of the ruthless submarining in the past few days, a reasonable deduction is that Germany has decided that England is influencing neutrals definitely in favor of the Aliies. Some critics are even prepared for greater rnthlessness and declare it will be a short step from the seizure and sinking of neutrals vessels to an invasion of the surrounding neutrals. particularly Denmark, with a view to commandeering supplies. The Lokai Anzeigcr further hints at an important secret change concerning submarines, which will be a great ;ufvantage in the event of Germany being compelled to act ruthlessly, and adds that a new decision will probably have to be made soon.

The Krcuz Zeitung qualities the announcement and says that the decision must be made quickly, otherwise Germany will lose the best time of the year for submarinings. The Ncuste Naehrichtcn says: In our last note to America wo reserved a free hand with regard to our submarine mercantile war in the event of America failing to induce England to alter her procedure. which was an infringement of all international law governing neutrals' trade with Germany, but the time to use our free hand has not yet arrived. THE JUTLAND FIGHT. GERMAN FLEET'S MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. London, .Tune 14. The opinion formed here on the fight oil' the coast of Denmark, is that the Germans liave a punch, but that there is something wrong with their stomach. I'eports sent here from Danish and Dutch observers or the great naval battle of Ma.v 111 ag Vee that the German High Sea Fleet escaped annihilation by p. miracle. The fact remains that Wiiliani's navy will never light on anything like equal terms with the British. I'eattv tempted them, offering battle at something like one to three ships. It was a mine-strewn sea with the possibility of fog and low visibility as added juarantec of a safe retreat.

lieattv waded in and took more punishment that Nelson ever dreamed of. in the vain hope that the Germans would stick to it. Ac-cording to Holland reports, the German ships almost rammed each other in their frantic haste to skip the moment .Jellicoc appeared on the skyh'l- ■ It is impossible to do anything wiili a fighting man whose sole idea is safety first. The courage of the German navy is not equal to that of a common Nod Kelly. Given a stronghold and a press agent like the Kaiser, it will only light when trapped or when the other fellow look's no bigger than ten cents through a telescope. Jellicoc is also a careful man, but Jellicoc will always allow his young admirals a bit of a flutter to keep them from rusting. A letter recently received from Charles Urban, the man authorised by the British Government to take motion pictures of the Fleet, gives an interesting account of Jellicoc and his method with photographers, lie once permitted a man to board the Iron Duke to take a snapshot showing the Admiral leaning on the rail with a background of shorehiml, whose topography made the locality easily recognisable to experts The man developed the lilm and sent it to a friend, who innocently showed it to a newspaper friend. The result was that it soon appeared in it London illustrated weekly, and was instrumental in giving a clue to the exact whereabouts of the Grand Fleet. The result was that Jellicoc ordered the Fleet to leave that harbor, and it has never returned since. The harbor was one of the best for the purpose on the coast, and had been developed at great cost, but that one slip had necessitated its abandonment. After the enemy had seen the picture it would have been an easy matter to send a submarine into the harbor and perhaps have torpedoed the llagship. Jellicoc forbids t-he throwing overboard of tobacco tins, foodstuffs or articles of clothing. All these things are incinerated on board. It is through bits of paper, books and scraps of refuse that the enemy submarines are able to locate the course of passing warships. It was through a book found in the water that German ships were followed to the Falklands and engaged. The pursuing British ships merely followed the trail of the refuse, just as a black tracker picks up a footprint.