Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-18
j. 5. DEFENSEs
IN THE LIGHT
OF PRESENTWAR
Investigation by Naval Com
mittee Develops Value of.
Submarines for Defense
: Against Raids on Coast,


Washington. Dec. is.--An "ade-
qIate' number Of British submarines
might have repealed the German
cruisers which ralded the English
coast yesterday. Rear Admiral FisKe,
aide for operations. told the house
naval committee at todny's hearing
on the needs of the sen defense
III the British had had a sufficient
number of submarines they could
have stood off the cruisers" he said.
''If the German vessels were going
fast. however. II would be very hard
for submarines to stand them off. III
the British had had d dozen or fifteen
submarines ut iHartlepool they
would have been pretty hard to
tackle"
Fairly Well Prepared.
Admiral Fiske thought that, judged
by the situation abroad. the United
states was as well prepared today for
control OF the sea as ever before.
Replying to questions which cow
cred a long range. including acamem-
Ic questions about the Monroe doc
trine. Admiral Fiske said that he
did not think the United states would
have been any more insistent In its
dispute with Great Britain over the
Venezuelan boundary II II had pos
sessed more powerful navy. The
navy then was inferior to the present
one and the British navy was supe-
rior to that OF the United States"
Japan is Tabooed.
The admiral told the committee
that whether we could take our
submarines to Japan is donbtful."
at the instance OF sew
aral members. the mention OF Japan |
was stricken out.
"Do you consider the raiding OF the
British coast. as important as II IL.
like the raid Of Yesterday. has any
bearing on the outcome OF the war;"
asked Representative Roberts.
Admiral Fiske pondered for a mo-
ment and replied
Il should not think that by itself |
il would have a serious bearing on the
outcome. but If 1t operates to make /
The British fleet come around into the
North sea ii would have n serious ef-
feet"
First Line of Defense.
"The seriousness OF snch an attack !
Or defense suggested Representative
Hobson. lis substantially its bearing !
IN the ultimate control of the sea
through the operations of the first line |
IF defense?"
yes, seplied the admiral. but of !
course the ultimate control of the sea
IS not the ultimate principle-the ul
Innate control of the sea itself Is only !
to the effect on the
government of the country you are
after. For instance. IL we should !
have war with any nation and our
fleet should go out TO sea and the
Enemy should have control OF the sea
md they would sink all of our ships,
he United States would save money
on the upkeep of the ships and the
Ray of the men. So far as the mere
destruction of the ships goes. that is
not the point. That is only leading
M to some other enforcement Of yom
policy"
An Extreme View Suggested.
Gould we keep hostile fleet fur
her away than 900 or 600 miles from
)ur coast and could they cover that
distance with aeroplanes to drop
bombs against New York. for in
Admiral Fiske was asked.
THAT is an extreme view" he re-
)lied. II would say 400 or 500
niles"
rs 1t possible for any country to
rave navy big enough to keep the
lavy of any other country more than
100 miles off the coast ?"
THAT would be very difficult, in
Iced"
ut has been my notion" said Rep
'esentatve Roberts. that If we had
n all our harbors. and important
POINTS an adequate flotilla of subma-
ines. il would be Impossible for an
'nemy either to sufficiently blockade
" come within bombarding distance.
rhe results on the English coast yes
erday especially bear out that theory.
ne SVuluIoH OF Herman cruisers
'ould not have bombarded Hartlepool,
lad there been an adequate flotilla OF
stationed there when the
German cruisers came in, could it,"
Value of Submarines.
Not II there had been an adequate
II there had been an ade-
Iuate number there they could have
TODD off the German cruisers"
Assuming that instead of coast de-
ensc submarines with limited speed
lie was asked. England had had all
bout Hartlepool five or six subma-
ines making twenty knots on the
urface, Would that have reduced the
possibility OF any bombardment very
realty with the German fleet know
ng that there were twenty-knot sub
marines there to keep off the cruis-
RS"
II think So
Admiral Fiske went on to say that
n any attempt at offense or defense,
he United States navy would attempt
o get control of the sea far away,
+ the enemy's position were there;
leaby, If the fight were to be near
""
BY getting control of the seas"
ie explained. the navy would want
0 use all the arms possible battle-