Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-17
ADMIRAL F|SKE
LAUDS SUBMARINE
Says That Type Vessel Could
Have Stood Off Germans
on English Coast.
ANALYZES u. S. NAVY
At HEARING IN HOUSE
Thinks American Weakness as to
Mines and Aircraft Would Be
Serious One in War.

An adequate number of British sub
marines might have repealed the Ger
man cruisers which raided the English
coast yesterday, Rear Admiral Fiske,
aid for operations, told the House naval
committee at today's hearing on the
needs of the sea defenses.
IF the British-,had had a sufficient
number of submarines they could
have stood off the cruisers" said he.
IF the German vessels were going fast,
however. it would be very hard for
submarines to stand them of. II they
had had a dozen or fifteen submarines
at Hartlepool the British would have
been pretty hard to tackle"
Admiral Fiske thought that judged
by the situation abroad the United
control of the sea as ever before"
Leaving aside the fact that Europe was
at war. however he thought the Unit
ed States Navy was not as we'll pre-
pared because other nations have been
going ahead in naval affairs much
more rapidly.
Significance of German Feat.
Admiral Fiske thought the real sig
nificance of the German Smelling of the
British ports probably was to draw out
the British fleet and string the British
fleet along the North sea in such a way
that it would be attacked by a Ger
man fleet
that the attack had caused consider
able apprehension on the coast
Yes. and probably will bring hun
dreds of thousands of British to the
colors." interjected Representative
England has seventy-fve subma-
rines," said Representative Browning.
How many of those could England
have spared to go to the defense OF the
British coast cities bombarded yester-
day."
Il would have to know the plans Of
the British admiralty before l could
answer that" said the admiral. The
admiralty might have had some other
employment for the submarines
Replying to questions which covered
a long range, including academic ques-
lions about the Monroe doctrine. Ad-
miral Fiske said that he didn't think
more insistent in its dispute with Great
Britain over the Venezuela boundary
IL 1t had had a more powerful navy
THE navy then was inferior to the
present one and the British navy was
superior to that of the United States.
japanese Mention Dropped.
The admiral told the committee that
whether we could take our subma-
rines to Japan is doubtful" Imme-
diately, at the instance of several mem
beers the mention of Japan was stricken
out
in case OF an attack on the Ameri-
can coast" said the admiral, our In
adequacy as to mines and air craft
would be very serious. There Is con-
siderable development along that line
A. II
war We might expect an attack on our
coast very quickly, possibly In the
vicinity of New York"
Admiral Fiske, answering questions.
said he was a member of the general
board of the navy. He was asked about
| the boards statement. with which he
| said he agreed, that the absence of a
definite naval policy, along with the
necessities. had put the country in q
position of inferiority that might lead
| to war.
| lie said the board itself had pretty
definite policy and had asked for all it
| wanted because 1t did not want to be
called crazy" He said the board
policy is for four battleships.
Aeroplane Future Weapon.
| Admiral Fiske predicted that aero
planes would prove greater weapon
= of the future, and. said the general
hoard of the navy had recommended
| 81. OoO, 900 for the purpose. He said the
German and French air craft have
| shown a sustained air flight of about
| twenty-four hours. and they could go
from eighty to one hundred miles an
| hour. Admiral Fiske agreed that the
United States had not n proportionate
air craft strength, but changed his
answer so as not TO be non-committal
4 Representative Hobson said that il
was evident that the United State,
would have to go out and contest for
the supremacy of the sea.
| CHAIRMAN Padgett called attention t