New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1914-12-19
SEA POWER AND THE WAR.

JUTee OF AuiIIIIdl Nou pPVO d
squadron, two of them the heav-
ily armed and modern cruisers
that sent Admiral Craddock s
ships to the bottom on Nov. l,
can hardly be said to have been
unexpected. 1t merely proves
that, despite the brilliant initia-
tive of detached units Of his fleet,
the Kaiser is hopelessly over
matched on the sea and that
eventually the German flag will
disappear completely from the
ocean until the war is over.
When the war broke out Ger
man warships not in their home
waters embraced the Goeben,
Breslau, Emden, Koenigsberg,
Karlsruhe, Dresden, Liepsi7,
Nurnberg, Geier, Scharnhorst
and Geiseneau. The GOeben and
Breslau escaped through the
Dardenellcs; the Emden, Scharn-
horst, Geiseneau and Lepsiz
have been Sink the Geier is in
termed at Honolulu; the Koenlgs-
berg is bottled up in Africa, the
Dresden and Nurnberg are flee
ing from the British pursuit and
in a little while must either be
destroyed or interned, and only
the Karlsruhe is at large.
1t is evident, therefore, that
the allies have not only swept the
German merchant marine from
the seven seas but that, by dlspos-
ing of nearly all of the Kaiser 3
fugitive ships, they have made it
possible for their ownmerchant
ships to. traverse all the oceans
with little fear Of molestation.
German submarine activity and
the considerable losses Of British
ships and men have created
among the unthinking an impress
sion that the reputed preponder-
ance of British naval strength was
rather on paper than real.
But. though it is true that
Germany's dreadnaught strches1s
is still unimpaired, it must be ap
parent to all who look the facts
in the face that British naval sn-
premacy is pronounced and that
it affords the most striking illrs
tration the world has ever seen
of what Admiral Mahan pointed
out as the influence of sea power.
England has not met and des-
troyed the German navy but it
she had done so the effect could
not be more striking. The des-
truction of Germanys' enormous
maritime commerce is complete.
No merchant ship bearing her
flag is visible on any sea. Save
for the three light cruisers now
seeking refuge in some neutral
port her navy is nowhere to be
seen outside Of her own ports.
Meanwhile the allies move
their troops from all parts of the
world to the theater Of war on the
Continent. Not single one OF
their transports yet has been
sunk. Even with the enterprise
of the German submarines, there
is no reason why the British
troops from England, from India,
from Australia, from Canada NAV
not be landed on French soil
without mishap.
Not only that, but the seas are
free to the allies to move the
enormous munitions Of war and
supplies of foodstuffs which they
are drawing from the neutral
countries, while the ring around
Germany is being drawn tighter
and tighter.
II Germany finally is defeated
it will not be because her was
machine was less efficient than it
was cracked up to be. It will
not because her troops have not
fought with superb courage. 1t
will be because the influence OF
the sea power was against her.
With England out of the wal
it is conceivable that the peace
makers would already be sitting
With German naval strength the
equal of England's the whole
story Of the war might have to be
differently told.
II the Allies win it viii be be
cause England was quicker to put
the teachings Of Admiral Mahan
into effect. II win be because
Germany did not have the tiine Z
do 30.
We shall le4rn many lessons
from this great war. None,
however, will be more impressive
than the influence Of sea power II
4 A.