The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-06-04
GERMAN FLEET. IS
READY TO STRIKE
Naval Correspondent of Times
Says Offensive May Be &c.
gun Al Any Time

In the latest number Of the weekly
edition Of the London Times that has
been received here, the naval EXPERT
WHO writes for this paper under the
title Of "Naval Correspondent warns
the British public against regarding
the German battleship fleet as a ncgIi,
glide quantity.
The raids of the German commerce
deBtroyeTs and submarines and the few
tlect actions Of the war have attracted
80 much attention as TO cause many IN
England TO- overlook altogether tho
more powerful units of Germany :
mighty fleet Light swift cruisers
have attacked small towns on the Bri.
sIsh coast and then scurricd safely back
to their base not moro than 400 miles
listant, but the battleship fleet has
to date obstinately refused to come out
despite the most irritating taunts from
10 British press. Neither has the
great Armada Of Sir John JpEicoe made,
any attempt to drive them out. Recent.
ly there have been reports of bin
German fleet in the North Sea but tho
British newspapers have been inclined
to pooh pooh the rumors,
+ The accepted report that the Ger.
mans, are gathering a light squadron at
Ostend Is taken by the Times naval
correspondent to argue that Germany
has again succeeded in getting some
kind of a naval force through the Al,
.Iies net! tsE,
New Commander
Z This writer remarks that the com.
usand Of the German fleet has been
changed recently and that it's new com
mandcr, Admiral Won Pohl, will
naturally be, anxious to prove his cap.
ability by some act which shall put his
superiority over his predecessors i'll
evidence.
E f9Nothing would go further to prove
this,'' says the British critic expert,
.'than his appearance in the open sea
at the head of a powerful fleet, even
If he were, unable to carry on an ex.
tended naval campaign. If he could
escape, defeat, or should fight drawn
battle, it would prove that the German
navy after all it's losses is force that
will. bear. the most vigilany watching
and can exercise more important func
tions than those of coast defense.
German. Dreadnoughts
| That Admiral Won Pohl has the
means of making trouble is the con.
eIusion Of the Times naval authority,
who thinks that he can, certainly
muster today seventeen dreadnougbts
under his flag and possibly twenty two.
LGermRnv keeps its naval secrets, yety
well but it is, known that at the begin
tning of the war it had four recently
Launched dreadnoughts in the water
! yaiting for equipment and there is no
toubt that they have. lost no time in
making them ready for. action hAc-
,ording to reliable report there was
1ne battle cruiser waiting completion
and. SIX light cruisers were under con.
| itruetion on the day the, war opened.
"Some of them. - Says the naval cor
respondent. 80 far advanced that, "
with the speeding up" of wartime
labor, they are probably now ready. to
be commissioned.
| "WhCn it is remembered that the
battleship strength of the German
navy Immediately previous to the wal
was composed of thirty.three ships, II
seems by no mean improbable to the
British expert, that the new German
fleet commander may make up his
| mind to run the risk of abandoning the
defensive policy and warns the British
public to expect an active offensive al
an early date.