Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-11-28
Interesting Comparison Made
of Fighting Power of
Rival Fleets

Tho war is now nine weeks old, ana
people who are anxious that the Brit
iih navy should have all opportunity
tor carrying out its instructions to
"sink, burn and destroy" the enemy
arc getting impatient at the non
appearance Of the main German fleet.
The Britifh navy shares that impa-
tiCnCP: LIT our mcn do not bet1eVe
in the utter inibeCiIity OF Germanys
naval leaders, and consequently they
do not expect them to send their big
ships in hurry to meet certain de-
Etruction at the hands Of vastly SUI
perior force.
Neither do our men forget that in
tile great wars OF the past the primary
function of our squadrons was always
TO wait. The battle Of Trafalgar was
not fought until two years and FIVE
months after the declaration OF war in
May, 1903, and il was only rendered
possible by the unceasing vigilance
with which French ports were watched
-Toulon by Nelson, Rochefort by Col
lingwood and Brest by CORVALLIS. I'm
fortunately, the risks attending this
policy have been enormously increased
BY the evolution OF the submarine and
the torpedo.
Germany Rushing New Ships.
II Is we'll for US, who place SO much
proper confidence in our feet, to re-
member that, although the naval pow
er OF France and OF Spain was shat.
tered at Trafalgar, the salvation of
Europe was not effected until ten
years later on the field of Waterloo.
our feet fnsures the safety of these
islands. II seriously crippies the enc
my, and it enables us to move our own
troops (and those of our Allies about
the seas In safety; but II cannot end
The war. The navy alone cannot "pul-
serize Prussian militarism," and not
until that is accomplished can we have
peace. 49,. E.
But although the bashfulness of the
German feet is quite in accordance
with history and expectation, and al
though the enemy's use of guerilla
tactics was fully anticipated, various
theories are being put forward TO ex-
plain Il. One OF these is that Germany
Is rushing her new ships towards COM
pletion, and will hazard the cast OF the
die in the North sea as soon as they
are ready.
Torpedo Construction,
Where Germany may be able to uti-
lie delay for the Improvement OF her
position is in torpedo craft. 10.
The Vulcan works and the firms of
Krupp and Schithau have reached
high pitch OF efficiency in turning out
desfroyers, and in recent years the ay-
erage rate OF construction in Germany
has been far more rapid than here,
the normal average being from q to
"a months for our boat and from IL
10 is for Germany's.
The Reichstag recently expressed
its willingness to vote credits immedi.
ateIy for an emergency program in.
clnding six divisions of destroyers
(which may mean either 36 or 70
boats), and there is little doubt OF the
ability OF the firms named to turn out
al least the smallest number in less
than u months.
OF Germany's capacity for submar-
Inc construction little is known The
Navy Law Amendment of 1912 contem-
plated the building of six boats a year,
and so far only two yards have en-
gagged in this work Krupp's at Kiel.
and the Imperial Dockyard at Danzig.
Another suggestion, put forward
with some show OF authority, is that
German battleships have been taken