New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-04
Asserts England, at Once,
Should Attack German
Battle Fleet.
POINTS TO DREAD OF
SUBMARINE ACTION
Teutons Seek to Overwhelm All
Enemies by Quick Blow,
Sea Expert Declares.

Germans was the motive in sending the
British squadron out from Portland
under sealed orders a few days ago,
according to Rear Admiral Alfred 7.
Mahsn. L. S. y. lretircd).
Admiral Mahan. who is considered
one % the greatest naval experts OF
the day, advanced the theory that even
though no declaration Of war had been
made the British Admiralty feared the
Germans might make an attack with a
submarine fotilla, perhaps under cover
of the night. and send some of the
British Dreadnoughts to Davy Jones's
locker.
why not?' asked the admiral Of a
Tribune reporter at his summer home.
at Quogue, Long Island. Yesterday.
The Germans have violated the neu-
trali'y Of Luxembourg already"
Up to this time Admiral Mahan had
refused 10 talk about the war, because
the struggle had no maritime aspect,
but yesterday he discussed the situa-
ton from various sides. The position
Of England as far as regards not alone
her duty to her allies but her prospects
on sea seemed TO interest him particu-
larly.
Points Out EngIand's Duty.
I'm my judgment, a proper appreca-
tion of the situation should determine
Great Britain 10 declare war at once:
otherwise her entente engagements. no
matter what they are in letter. will
certainly be violated in spirit. Prob
able allies Of the future would distrust
her. With her strength she should
at once engage the German fleet in &C
ton and prevent the growth of a sea
force representing a power not like
Great Britain, stated with territory, but
eager and ambitious for expansion and
for influence" he said.
The British feet could at once pro-
coed to blockade German ports. As il
is, German merchantmen already have
been ordered to cover. The ships fly
ing the Union Jack could stop com
merce at the mouths of the Elbe and
Weser. ! speak of these particularly
because it would be very difficult If
not impossible for the British ships
to operate both in the North Sea and
the Baltic simultaneously.
The German feet could use the Kiel
Canal as constant means of communi-
cation and strengthen itself first in
one sea, then in the other. The North
Sea, too, is the more important, and
there commerce could be effectively
crippled.
The naval expert spoke again of the
attitude of Great Britain in these sig
nificant words:
"She, as the third member of the en-
tente, finds herself in the position of
Prussia in 1905, when she permitted
Napoleon to strike down Austria un-
aided and was herself struck down the
following year at Jena; or of that of
France in 1866, when she stood by
while Prussia crushed Austria and was
herself overwhelmed in 1870"
Battle Stage for Fleets.
The North Sea, as the logical stage
for a great naval engagement, was the
idea of Admiral Mahan.
THAT would be the place the British
would wish" he said. Germany would
choose it, too, for her feet would oper-
ate from the Kiel Canal There is,
by the way, nc great chance that the
German feet would be able to modest
marine intercourse between France or
England and the United States. She
has practically no coaling stations in
the Atlantic"
The possibilities of the naval situa-
ton in the Mediterranean proved, too,
a subject of comment for Admiral
Mahan.
"What will Italy do?" he pondered.
"She has sgnified that she will not CO.
operate aggressively with the Triple
Alliance. Instead she may join to pre-
vent an Austrian blockade of the
Greek coast, and at the same time turn
her armies to protect the Balkans, al
ready threatened by Turkey. There is
no question that Austria and Italy have
long been bitterly opposed, and Italy
may support Greece, which sympathizes
with Servia.
France has a feet that is much more
powerful than Austria's. She may take
the task of defending Greece against an
Austrian blockade Greece would use
her new ships purchased from the
limited States in this fight against Aus,
tria and Turkey. Bulgaria, too, would
be held in check if she determined to
support Austria"
il was in connection with the discus
sion Of the use of submarines IN the
naval engagements that Admiral Mahan
mentioned his theory that the BRUSH
fleet had hurried from Portland TO some
omen sea TO escape German attack:
'"The feet is probably in the North
Sea and, | should say, not great dls-
lance from shore. ! estimate the el-
fective cruising range Of a submarine
TO be about two hundred miles. ana 70
make that distance the craft must
travel for long way upon the surIace'
and in this case would reveal them
seIves 70 the scouts which the British
N,e, must have posted on its outskirts.
"Sir Percy Scott has gone definitely
an record" continued Admiral Mahan,
"ss saving that the battleships are no
lnnger effective because submarines
80 destroved their efficiency, but |
40 not think naval experts generally
e,,bscribe TO this idea. The question
Of the real efficiency of the submarine
,yilI he tested in this war. During the
Russo-Japanese conflict they taught
only that ships could be surprised. Tor
nedoes were used in that war, cherry
for silencing dying ships. But TORPEDO
boats arc night craft, and, as they can
bc seen. are not effective against moo
The respective efficiency of the Ger
nan and British fleets was topic tnat
the admiral dealt with in one very IN
teresting detail.
"There is one particular reason why
doubt that the German feet Is so
Efficient as the British, aside from
question of equipment and size. In the
German navy the ships are manned
chiefly by CONSUMPTION. In the British
r. there is voluntary enlistment ana