The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-16
RACE FOR SEA CONTROL
By Frsderie J. Haskin.

aF vessels are in commission but a mart of each year. The British vessels of the home feet mount hundred guns Of 12-inch calibre. it Is stated, while the German fleet carries forty guns of l1-inch calibre. The ten armored ships of the British Atlantic fleet, always in commission, could be quickly added to the home fleet. making thirty-six bat tleships to be used against Germany's twenty-two, if necessary.
 In case of a war between Germany and England. both countries would keep their armies at home and on the alert. England would probably block ade the German navy, while maintain- ing close watch that German cruiser did not slip out and smash British com. merce. German commerce would, of course. suffer great damage if, not an- initiation, but owing to her position, and the extent of the empire. this would not hurt Germany so severely as such a blow inflicted upon England would injure that country Germany is more nearly a match for England In point of torpedo boats than in bat tleships; indeed, the number in each navy is approximately the same, and 1t is asserted by British authorities that the German boats are of better class. A fleet of torpedo boats. of draft which would enable them to en- ter waters in which they could not be reached by British .battleships of the blockading squadron, might slip out on a dark night and effect terrible damage to British shipping before they could be overloaded and sunk.
 Lord Nelson said that one English man was worth three Frenchmep aboard man-o-war. But the instinct of the sea. such as the British people possessed over those of any other na- tion in the old days. and which was so necessary then to the upbuilding of a great navy, Is not now essential. Through the substitution of steam for sails. the, introduction of the arrnor- clad, and the crowding of the hulls of warships with machinery much of it operated with electricity as the motive power. the graduate of Annapolis, or of the training school for officers of the navy of any other nation, must be an expert machinest, technologist and q scientist. He must be able to build the most complicated engine and to tn- stall and operate every kind of cleo. tricai machinery. His profession is purely scientific. And the Germans are regarded as about the most sciens tifc people in the world.
 About fifty years ago Germany hao purchased a number of ships and was making such progress in creating 2 navy that England grew Jealous of the growth of a sea-power right at her doors. So the British Government informed the Confederate Assembly at Frankfort, that the German flag was unknown on the seas, and that yes sei flying it was liable to be seized and treated as pirate. Germany promptly called her warships home and sold them. That was in 1852. Noth- ing could more strikingly illustrate the growth of Germany as sea-power. power which, in this year of grace, is causing Englishmen to He awake at night, fearing a descent upon their coasts by this very power Wnich was not a power considerably less than half a century ago. .. fCopyright, 1909. by Frederic y
 < Haskin.)
 Tomorrow-Fcclipae of the Sun.