Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-08-10

cellcnt torpedo fleet. and In taking the
aggressive I'm the torpedo attacks She
could hope for an advantage. Just what
value such an attack would have against
battle ship organization was not
definitely known The French have laid
great store upon the value of torpedo
attack aud their relative strength m de-
stroyefs and torpedo boats Is very high.
Practically everything in material IN the
fleets would be put to It's fret severe
practical test IN this expected naval enc
gagement Tho naval constructors Of the
different nations each hove developed
more or less differing tAeo-les on The
value Of armor Whe.her protective nr-
nor Is Of any real valp- to q dreadnoulht
or whether dependence should he placed
solely IN striking power would now he seen.
Also the relative value Of shells designed
to pierce arnor plate and Of those which
explode outside tho vessel and depend
upon the destructive power Of that cS-l
posion would be tested
Germany lately had made great strides
In the development OF her aerial fleet FOR
use with the navy and for the first tirarI
the value OF these afr machines would he
tested
Greet Value of Naval ENGAGEMENTS.
Although public attention probably would
be concentrated upon the appalling losses
OF the great land engagenehts. she naval
conflicts would have a far greater value
for the military observers When Europe
has ended this great struggle the United
States will be able TO develop its naval
strength upon practical and not upon
theoretical lines.
In the south the great struggle was ex-
pected to come over the Adriatic ports OF
Austria Fiume and Trieste The French
fleet would probably make for the Adrlatic
early in the conflict and there engage tie
combined Italian and Austrian navles. In
battle ship strength France was about .heI
equal Of Italy and Austria together while
In cruisers, destresers and torpedo boats
France had the advantage
According to the United States Navy
Year Book. France has only two battle
ships Of the dreadnoueht type. that is
with main batteries Of all big guns Itqlyl
and austria have two each of this type So
that the advantage lies with the allies
there But France has eighteen battle
ships Of the next class to eight for italy
and six for Austria Also in armored
cruisers France has the advantage with
twenty vessels as compared 10 nine in the
Italian fleet and two in the Austrian. Inl
destrovers and torpedo boats France also
has the greater strength numerically
To none OF these lowers does its fleet
mean what it does to Great Britain. II Is
the strength of the latters empire With
out Its naval supremacy England is at the
mercy Of any Continental Power. It de
Ponds upon its merchant marine for f.
very existence, and the merchant maril
depends upon the fleet The other eoi
tries can be self-sustaiuing for a time
England cannot be il must keep oper
trade routes to India, to the Far East al
oveI~the Atlantic to the United States ami
Canada. So England has taken no chances
She has 0utbuilt her great rival, Germany.
on a basis of two Neeis to one ana has
practically accomplished that tremendous
task, although 1t has nearly pankrupted
her In the undertaking
The loss of her fleet TO Germany would
be a crushing blow, though It would not be
comparable to the loss TO England Ger
many has an immensely valuable com
merce and is a colonial Power as wei
The object Of France would be 10 close
the Austrian ports in the Adfiatc. Aus
tria. with command OF these ports, could
transport her land forces for campaigns
against Montenegro and into the Balkans.
and to hold these ports open with com
mand OF the sea would strengthen her
greatly In receiving supplies