The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-31
sea Power In a General European
War.

must be receiving the anxious attention |
of Grand Admiral Won TrRPrTz, to whose /
inspiration and energy Germany owes |
her modern brittle fleet our future |
lies upon the seas" has been n favorlte |
saying of the Emperor, his ma ster. If
the test of the strength and efficiency |
Of the fleet Is 10 come now, Germany Is
not ready for It. She has always dis |
claimed a policy Of challenging Eng |
lands supremacy upon the sea. Again
and again Won TiRP1ra hOs said that |
the German navy must he so strong
that any power would have to count !
he consequences Of making war upon
the Fatherland.
The Grand Admiral has always had
in mind England as the aggressor but
If the Triple Alliance Is to no pitted
against the Triple Entente on sea as
well as on land. 1t Is the combined
fleets OF England. France and Russia
that Germany would have TO deal with
in the North and Baltic seas She
could not reckon upon any assistance
In these waters from her Mediterranean
alias. The problem for Germany
would bc not only TO defend her coast
and naval stations on the North Sea
but to guard her much longer Baltic
littoral from attack by the reOrganlzcd
Russian navy. which n not strong In
dreadnoughts can despatch from kron
stadt formidable hotllla of destroyers
and submarines.
In the first line of battle Germany
would be much inferior to England and
France. and hopelessly overmntched IN
reserve ships II they were needed But
u war upon the sen would he sudden
and sharp. unless the German fleet re-
tired 10 the three harbors Of Wllhclms-
haven and 10 the naval station Of kiel
on the Baltic. to which access can al
ways be had from the North Sea by the
Kaiser Wilhelm Canal. The outpost of
Tcligoland has been well fortified and
in it's improved harbor It provides II
rendezvous and refuge for warshlps,
but II would hardly be the initial policy
Of the German Admiralty To use lIellgo-
land except az base for torpedo boat
attack.
1t IS now regarded as an axiom that
naval campaign would be decided 10y
one great conflict between first line OF
battle ships, that Is 10 say, dread
noughts. Sir PERCY SCoTr would amend
10y affirming that the torpedo boat tio-
tilas would play nj least nm equal part
with the hatticships ana battle cruisers.
/ but this Is n point to he settled In the
shock of sen powers Of the first rank.
many dreadnoughts of both classes
England. Germany and France have In
commission ana prepared TO enter a
/ fleet action ut this time. \ compilation
made under the direction Of Lieutenant
/ G. &. GIL Of the United States navy
Mt the beginning of the year assigned
to England twenty dreadnoughts
| Gncluding battle cruisers). Germany
seventeen and France two. France
must now be credited with two more
and both England and Germany are
proportionatcly stronger than when the
estimate was made. II Is within
bounds to say that Mt the present time
England and France could send Into
the line of battle almost two dread
noughts tn Gcrmnny's one. If the six
Dantons, warships practically In the
dreadnought class, for they carry bat
tcries OF four II inch guns and twelve
% inch guns, be added to the French
fleet, the disparity IL more marked. In
battleships of the second line Of about
10000 tons or more displacement, Grea'
Britain and France have respectively
forty and eighteen and Germany
twenty.
II Sir PERCY SCoTT is sound In hi'
contention that torpedo boats and sub
marines will decide the great sea fight'
OF the future, then Germany Is still
worse off when comparisons are made
| To her available deslroycrs, 1870 II
number. England could oppose 1i3 ant
France eighty-onc Germany has neg
l,cted torpedo boats, hut she had twenty
four submarines at the beginning OF The
wear. England had forty-nlnc torpedo
o boats and sevcnty-two submarines
: while France was credited with III
, torpedo boats and scventy-flve subma
rnrs. However the naval resource
of Germany are compared with thos
of England and France, the conclusion
must he that Germany. although he
< personnel Is well trained, would he n
2 match on the sea for the two grea
: sea powers Of the Triple Entente. \
= to Russia, She must be considered 1
y the reckoning. because she possessed a
= the end of 1913 ninety'threc dcstroycr'
I fourteen torpedo boats and thirty sui
= marines II may be doubted whethe
4 she has in commission any of the seve
hattleshlps and four cruisers Of IN
+ drendnought type that were ordered !
e 1901.
Is The failure OF Germany to trump
Il quickly In her land campaign again'
h France and Russia (lcaying ont OF cor
h sdcration the rather dubious aid sh