Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-30
GERMAN NAVY IN PEACE
IS PREPARED FOR WAR
Normal State OF Preparedness So
High That Practically Nothing
Remains to BE Done.
ONLY ACTUAL ENEMY EXISTS
Correspondent Visits Ikiel and LIS
Taken Everywhere by Sailormen in
Great Naval Base-I'recautions to
Prevent Attack by Air or Lind.

KEEL, GERMANY, November 90 (via
Berlin, The Hague and London).--A
pair of gray submarines lie ut the dock
yachts were moored during their last
visit to Kiel. Nvarships anchored in
tho Fjord wear war paint and have
their torpedo nets rugged. a Red Cross
flag flies from the Imperial Yacht
Club
Skylghts in tho shipyard buildings
have been biackened. Placards in
hotel rooms request that the window
shutters be closed at night Machine
lngs. and occasionally sentinels may
be seen on the tops OF tall structures.
a broad eXpansc of rortincations and
barbed-wire acknowledgements surround
the city.
These precautions have been taken
TO prevent an attack on the all-im-
portant Kiel Canal by air or land.
= Otherwise the Klel of war days ap-
pears little different from the KEEL OF
steamers and tugs with long tows go
about their customary work. In town,
although there Is more activity. the
people seem to be pursuing their or
binary course OF life.
CORRESPONDENT TAKEN
EVERYWHERE IN KEEL
, The saiformcn In this great naval
| base did not maintain an attitude of
undue secrecy toward tho Associated
Press correspondent visiting Kiel. Ee
was taken everywhere cheerfully He
was shown through every department
! of the government torpedo factory. into
which in ordinary times only those con-
4 hn art,io
enter. He was taken into the newest
| submarine, aboard the biggest battle
ship to watch battle practice Win
heavy guns and torpedo, and through
the docks, where torpedo-boats and
submarines arc being RENTED.
The visit convinced the correspon-
dent that war for the German navy
| diners from peace only In the existence
OF an actual, instead of n prospective
enemy. The navy's normal state Of
preparedness was so high that virtual
ly nothing remained to no done to the
war vessels after the outbreak of war
except to peel off the paint from the
interior walls to obviatc tho danger OF
flre and to apply thinner coating to
the outside for n similar reason Tho
battle practice is carried out with littlc
more snap and enthusiasm than In or
| binary times.
| Some OF tho officers and men said
they had seen tho tips of Russian masts,
4 puI lHcS nitu seen NOtnlnB or war
except the strenuous outpost patrol
/ duty In the wintry Baltic and North
\ Sea waters.
1 The occasional hailing of passing
=, freighter furnished the only break In
tho monontony. But that work also is
part of the customary peace routine.
MEN FIND IT HARD
TO REMAIN PATIENT
| These men Enthusiastically lind 1t hard
TO remain patient. but they take into
consideration the strategic grounds
which govern the policy OF the GER
man fleet. They express little bitter
ness toward the British, but rather q
| desire to match strength with worthy
opponent.
| 4 large number OF submarines are
approaching completion. Several have
been put into commission since the
outbreak OF the war. All are of the
largest sea-going type. The Germans
claim that already they have more OF
the big type OF the submarine than
tho British. Evidence Is also to be
seen that Germany's mosquito fleet of
torpedo-boat destroyers has been con-
siderably strengthened In boats having
a speed OF thirty-si knots. There
| also have been n considerable number
of additions OF capital ship. The. tor
| pedo works have been almost doubled
In capacity since the beginning of the
war, and are now turning out more
torpcdOeS than usual