South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-28
BY Frederick Werner.

BERLIN. Nov. 11.-CBy mail 10
New York;. Nov. 2S.-"Ge~many is
safe from attack by EngIand's navy"
This was the confident declaration
made to me today by a member OF
the staff Of Admiral Won Tlrpitz. Ger
man minister Of marine. If Ger
mans ever had any fear Of England's
great fleet they are beginning TO lose
it"
This, to some extent. typifes the
sentiment in the popular mind for the
recent exploits Of German men-of-war
in Europe and American and Oriental
waters have aroused much enthusiasm
throughout the German empire. Es-
pecially have the feats OF the daring
little German submarines been the
means Of arousing national pride and
zeal. Many songs have been written
praising the prowess Of these small
craft and their brave crews
Recently there has been much ac-
tivity at Kiel and Hamburg and from
time to time reports have come out
to the effect that a German feet is
preparing to go out and give battle
to the English in open sea.
strengthen Defenses.
The coast defense works have all
been strengthened. Even yet the
work OF mounting new heavy. long
range guns is going on all along the
Baltic and the North sea coasts.
The same naval attache who boast
ed Of the impreguability Of the Ger
man coast, in going deeper into the
situation said:
The German fleet. knowing the SUI
periOr strength OF the British fleet,
wisely retired behind Heligoland.
where they were protected by the
powerful guns on that island and by
the powerful fortidcations at tb9
mouth Of the El0e. At the same time
however, German men-of-war are
operating In the Baltic against tho
Russians having had access 10 that
body Of water through the Kaiser
Wilhelm canal"
Here ne went into a technical dis
cussion Of the difficulty which England
would have il she carried the war into
the Baltic
1T would be a different matter" he
continued. 'if ENGLAND could take pos
session Of the f0rtncations al the
mouth OF the Elbe river from the
land side, and thereby control the en-
trance 20 the Kiel canal. To accom-
plish this an English army would
have 10 be landed on the German
North sea coast This coast. however.
is very shallow where it IS not fOrti-
fed and guardde; hence "a transport
fleet could not land there.
Would Have To iNide.
should the English fleet be ordered
TO hazard all in an effort 90 compel tha
German fleet 10 go into the open and
give battle. il would have but one way
TO act. owing 20 the advantages OF
the Kiel canal It would have 70 de
vide itself, one half attacking the
Elbe forts. while the other half would
have 20 try 70 reach the Baltic. such
a position would be disastrous for
England. however. for her numerical
strength would DE lost by 81. The
Germans could concentrate their en-
tire fleet against either half of the
English deet and there can be no
doubt as 10 the outcome under such
circumstances. EnEland's chances or
defeating the Germany navy are con-
seouentlv very slight. They seem stiA
smaller II one considers the short life
OF the big English naval guns. The
duration Of a gun on a British ship IS
much shorter than OF that OF Ger
man cannon. In addition 20 this effect
the English would have 20 attack land
fortidcauons. and one gun on land 10
as good as three on a ship"