Grand Forks daily herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, 1914-11-13
PATIENCE REAL
Virtue JUST NOW
England Dissatisfied With
Navy Winnipeg Writer
Says Time is Coming.

The Winnipeg Free Press. dealing
editorially with the naval situation in
Europe, discusses the question from
the point Of view Of the British, de-
claring patience II necessary in the
empire. Says the Free Press:
The Navy and the War.
1t is undeniable that there is a
widespread feeling of disappointment
over the achievements of the British
navy to date. This arises from the
undue expectations of those who look
ed for an immediate clash between
the German and British navies upon
the outbreak Of the war. In naval war,
however, 1t takes two to make a fight;
and the Germans. in pursuance Of the
fundamental theory in naval tactics
that In war the weaker naval power
must keep Its fleet in being by avoid
ing encounters where the weight of
the broadside would be hopelessly
against 1t. have declined to oblige the
British by coming out to sea and risk
ing everything In q battle in which the
odds would be greatly against them.
own plans. played a waiting game.
hoping that the chances Of war and
their W daring would enable them
to reduce the prepOnderance Of the
British navy and thus increase the
chances of success in the event of a
general engagement.
Since the old naval tactics of 'cut-
ting out" reluctant hostile fleets have
been rendered obsolete by mines and
submarines, the Fabian policy Of the
German fleet, f~oreshadowed by all
German writer's on naval strategy, has
put a heavy task upon the British
navy. 1t has to maintain night and
day, in fair weather and foul, a block
d of the North sea. under condi-
lions of strain and stress never before
known. The wonder is. not hat so
many ships have been lost, but that
the losses to date in the North sea
have been SO few. In three months
the wearing down process in the
North sea, where the critical action
must be fought. leaves the British
fleet at sea relatively quite as strong
as 1t was, without regard to the ships
approaching completion, in which the
comparison with the German navy is
still more to the advantage Of the
British. Though the British fleet has
been exposed at all times to attack,
exposing a wide target to its enemy,
the British North sea losses are not
p%erceptibly heavier than those suffer-
ed by the Germans themselves.
In addition to keeping watch and
ward in the North sea, the British
navy has had other duties to dis
LAG 90 Va "AAAAOoS CAAok 1lAO1IlO1lIs IL
has driven German commerce from
the seven seas. It has protected British
overseas commerce along the main
travelled routes. The depredations Of
the German commerce d%estroyers in
distant seas affects al inconsiderable
percentage of Rttt36hh tonnage afloat. 1t
has.convoyed.tsxf faRyer-eeas:ssoo,ooo
or more from Ens1hnd.to France; 3D.
900 from NCanada@to England; 1000
from South Africa to England; 10000
from India to the south Of France, and
$4,000 from Australia and New Zea.
land to some place as yet ~unspecified
probably Egypt Not a troops}lip
has been molested by the enemy. It
was, doubtless, the concentration of
the British ships in the work of
troop-convoying which gave the En-
cruisers their opportunity to prey~np
on British commerce. With This WORK
over for the time being, the British
fleet is free to run down The German
cruisers at large. Already the .-ionigs-
berg and the Linden have been &C
counted for.
The one naval incident in which the
Germans have made a brilliant dis
aster to Rear-Admirnl Cralock's
squadron off the cost Of Chile. The
actual result Of the encounter need
occasion no surprise. Every naval en-
gagement Of this a has shown that
the ships possessing superiority in
speed and gun-power ran wipe out
the opposing ships. with comparative
ly little loss. That was demonstrated
in the two naval engagements in the
North sea-, in tho sel-tight Of the
Gillian coast, and In the combat be.
tween the Emden and the Sydney. The
full story of the defeat OF Admiral
Cradock's small squadron has not yet
been told; but the facts as known
show that in speed and in weight OF
broadside the Germans had a wide
margin over the three British ships.
The achievement, which reflects credit
upon the Germans, II not In victory
itself, but the strategy which nude 1t
certain. The Germans, far weaker III
the Pacific than .he British in naval
strength, by a brilliant seat in con-
%centration. overwhelmed an isolated
British squadron. The same Fate is
likely to overtake other detached Brit
ish warships IL the German ships es-
cape the %squadrons which are now
securing the Pacific waters in guest
Of them. It is. however, only a ques-
ton Of time until all these foot-loose
cruisers, wandering owe she worlds