New-York tribune., 1908-07-05
NAVAL MAN0EUVRES
NO CORRESPONDENTS.
Most Pozcerful Fleet Euer Ndssed
in Peace Times.
Especial by French Cable to The Triorne-I
ICopyrtsht. 1905, by The Tribune Association

rCopvrfxht by Tribune Ass9ciatioh-J
London July 4.-The British army may oe
peace establishment requiring constant recon
struction but the navy is organized for war
and is ready for it, The greater part OF the
Adn1iraitys resources of sea power mas oeen
concentrated this week for experimental prac-
tice This has been done with remarkable
celeritv and precision. The home fleet OF over
three hundred vessels which is leaving Deai
to-day for the Firth of Forth has oeen mopiiizeo
with amazing facility and dispatch and Is reduS
to defend the country against the enemy repre-
sented by the Channel fleet and the hrst cruiser
SQUADRON which have been strengthened py d
portion of the Atlantic fleet and speclai ser
vice squadron
There will be tactical exercises during the
first week and strategical manceuvres during
the following ten days. Fleets equally poWerIui
have never been massid in peace or war under
single flag Every vessel not already COM
nissioned was ready for service in few hours,
with crew provisions and ammunition Inc
fleets when mobilized represented the maximum
efficiency of sea power, with the best types OF
every kind of destructive mechanism. from pat
tleship and cruiser to destroyerS, suOiiai iiiO3'
torpedo beats and mine layers
The manpuyres will be conducted without
newspaper correspondents TO describe thenl-
This prohibition has become necessary, less Ior
the avo1darce OF the betrayal of secrets OF sham
warfare than for the suppression OF feuds IN
the service Every naval expert Is partisan
either OF Sir John Fisher or Lord Charles Ber-
esford, and in secret alliance with one adniira d.
or the other Decks are cleared of correspond
ents so that factional warfare may nave
less publicity. Several admirals and sea lords
are not on speaking terms, and their grievances
are taken I'D zealously by their subordlnates-
The British navy can be rapidly mobil1zed
but it can hardly be said TO be prepared FOR
war when the service is honeycomoed WIN
iealousies and feuds. The strategy, as lndlcateo
by the bases and golfers, is an attack by L'rd
Charles Beresford from Danish waters upon
some fleet under Admiral Bridgeman at Rosyth'
This passage of the North Sea points to Ger
many as a possible enemy, as did last years
manruvres in another quarter Germany virtu-
aIIy adopts the same procedure in conducting
the military nsneuvres near the French
frontier.
These points Of strategy are not offensive. and
are less discouraging than the bewilderlns
action of various governments in withholding
sanction from many of the thirteen conventions
adopted by the second peace conference at Inc
Hague Engand's rejection of the convention
for an international prize court is almost uhac-
countable when Sir Edward Fry and the BRUSH
delegates considered it the main accomplishment
of the congress. The indifference of the powers
TO the conventions adopted after a prolonged
discussion at The Hague indicates that the best
results will be obtained from the practice or
arbitration rather than from international con-
crosses
America and England are setting the example
in the Newfoundland arbitration. This has been
deferred temporarily, not through the fault OF
the American government but from the en-
barrassments Of the British government in
being forced to consult Canada and Newfound-
land. The modus vivendi will naturally be pro-
onged until the British case is ready and the
preI.ninaries of the arbitration can be ar
ranged. l. " r