The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-18
GERMANY HAS TWO
 NAVAL PROBLEMS Very Difficult to Get Right
 Men in Navy NEED LARGER CREWS Society Season Now in Full Swing at Berlin-Emperor Plays Severe zrick on Newspaper Man-A
 Tarday School Master
By MALCOLM CLARK

the Kaiser and his advisors The build- ing of battleshps Is merely a matter of
 time and money. The latter is sometimes
 hard to get from a reluctant reichstag,
 and may be even harder with the big so-
 ealist gains in the recent elections, but
 the Kaiser can always find means to over.
 come this difficulty. Getting the right kind of men to man
 these ships once they are built and com-
 missioned is much harder task.
 In fact it has been found impossible to
 bring about the development of the per
 sonnel of the navy as rapidly as the build
 ing up of the feet N3
 When the original navy act was passed.
 the largest armored ships in the German
 fleet required crews of only about GOO Of
 ficers and men. whereas the latest dread
 noughts absorb 1oo7. Nominslly the num-
 Der of armored ships is the same today
 as 1t was in 1S9S when the first legislation
 was passed but whereas then their total
 displacement was of about 175000 tons, in
 cluding small coast defense ships. now 1t
 has risen to 424 00O tons. and there are
 dreadnoughts building of 20o,ooo tons, gv-
 
 tons.
 The development in the size of. cruisers and torpedo craft has been little less rapid, with the result that today the fleet displaces 7i9,699 tons, and there are s37,70o tons under construction, raising the total amount of naval armaments, built and building to l0S7, ,S99 This Is considerably l in excess of the effective fighting weight | of the whole British fleet as recently as | 1900. While, however, the British navy 1 then had a personnel or 114,Sso the Ger
 man navy today. with larger displace- ment, possesses only eO,So5, or rather more | than half as many.
 Since 1897 the number of officers and | men has been augmented by approxi- | mately 150 per cent, and yet the strength l is not sufficient for the proper manning | of the fleet as it exists today. This diff 1 culty arises in large measure from a sub | tie change which has occurred since steamships replaced sailing ships and a newer and higher standard of manning 1 policy became essential. owing to the del- | icacy of the mechanical equipment of the man of war
 1 It is only under voluntary long service | system that adequate numbers can be | provided to suit the modern fighting poi- | cy of a war fleet, which requires that the whole of the active squadrons shall be | manned by 'regulars." and that the sec | ond line of the fleet shall be maintained | in peace by large nucleus crews. to be in l creased 10 war conpements by drafts of | "regulars. with a proportion of reserv- l ists for the less technical work on board. | This truth has been realized by all the | naval authorities in the world, but under | a short service system the consequent I drains on the manhood of a nation forced | to maintain a large army Is almost un- | bearabe. It. folloYs that since in the | British navy the average period of ser | vice is over nine years. and in the Ger man and some other foreign navies only | three years. the proportionate number. of recruits required annually under the lat l ter condition is three times as great as under the former.
 The difficulties of German fleets in these circumstances have grown year by year as the complexty and delicacy of the l mechanism of men of war have increased.
 The movement is seriously interfering with the plans of the German naval au- thorites in manning the fleet.
 The vessels now completing require such large crews that the balance available for the older ships is proving inadequate. This can readily be understood when 1t is explained that German battleship today requires nearly twice as many men as batteshp of 10000 tons built 15 years ago. The season is now in full swing. and despite the horribly cold east wind that Is sweeping Berlin and forcing its way even into the royal palace, everyone is very merry At the Imperial Schloss there IS something on every day, and their majes- ties are having a very busy time. The big functions commenced with the court of the Kaiserin. as it is called. which was on an unusually brilliant scale. The in- vestture and chapter of the Grand Order of the Black Eagle took place with all the traditional pomp and ceremony. which can be excelled at no other court in Eu- | rope.
 In addition to the customary big balls | at the Schloss this winter, there are to | be an unusual number of smaller ones, which will not terminate quite so early | as the more ceremonious affairs. One of these was given last week Only 100 invi- tations having been issued, dancing men were greatly in the majority The Kaiser in and her daughter divided honors' and the Kaiser looked on with delighted pride in his fair young daughter. Her dress this time was white chiffon over silk made in empire style: her royal highness's ornaments were her favorite pearls and
 knots of pink and blue flowers. which
 have just the requisite note of color. The
 Kaiserin wore heliotrope velvet: Princess
 Friedrich Leopold (her majesty's sistei)
 was in pale blue and the latter's daugh- ter. Princess Victoria Margarete, wore mink All the Kaisers sons, with the tx ceptjon of the crown prince. were present at their sisters dance. and each claimed her as a partner more than once
 The German Emperor is by no means martial to newspaper reporters and good | story has been told in this connection. 1 During a journey from Potsdam, while | the Emperor was talking to those about I him on a variety of subjects. he caught l sight of man who appeared to take deen interest in what was said. and who | was dressed in the livery of the imperial l household Calling his secretary the Ell l peror bade him inquire the reason or the mans presence To the secretarys hor- | TOT the attendant footman proved to ne A newspaper man in disguise. The Em- l peror punished this over enterprising jour | nalist in a most characteristic manner. l The train was stopped at a desolate spot | and the unlucky reporter was dropped out with a good 12 mile walk before he couin l reach the nearest station.
 | Sometimes, however, the Kaiser can | give hint in a more gentle manner. Not very long after he became Emperor ne | visited a certain cadet school; but at the teacher had put in an appearance. Tired | of waiting the Emperor conducted a DOT tion of the lesson himself. and on the arr | rival of the much Hurried master said nothing but quietly left the building The 1 unl1fcyv teacher regarded his dismissal d s