The Republican journal., 1915-07-15
What the English Navy Has
Done.

4AAAoeseees
Done.
To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL:
Surely Homer has nodded! Your leader
captioned ..The war today in the issue
of June 24th amazes me, and reads more
like one of the familiar stereotype Sec
tions of Hearst newspapers than the con-
sistently, we'll judged and discriminating
articles on the war we are accustomed
to in The Journal. 1t speaks of an ex-
pectation of what the mighty English
navy would do, and adds, 1.-THE English
navy has cut no figure at ALL" shrink
from controversy on this awful war and
the intricate discussion of its causes, but
fact is fact and history is history. The
simple fact is that the English navy has
done everything it can reasonably be ex-
pected to have done to date. 1t has prac-
tically swept German shipping from the
seas; it has so thoroughly blockaded
trade with Germany that both that ma
ton and certain interests in the United
Stated. backed up by her press agency,
are doing some strenuous kicking. 1t
has driven the strong German navy off
the seas into cold storage in Kiel harbor;
that is, what 1t has not destroyed in Sea
fights as off the Falkland harbor. 1t
has lost, it is true, two ships in sea
fight, some by submarine attack or
mines; but this is war, and the losses
have not even crippled it one vital iota.
1t has driven, apparently, every German
raider off the ocean with the scouting
help of Japan. 1t has, to the amaze
ment of all, marvelously escorted hun
dreds of thousands of troops in trans
ports from far Canada and Australia and
India, and from England to France, with
out single mishap. The achievement
has been colossal. 1t has been instru-
mental in capturing some island colonies,
in supporting troops by bombarding land
batteries, has prevented invasion of Eng
land, and withal, since the greater pre-
cautions have been taken, has lost few
units by submarine attack and only a
few by mines. Realizing the immensely
of the work and the large area covered
it has lost very few and has covered a
wide range. Did l read Alright that
1.-THE English Navy has cut no figure at
all?" Why, one would not dare guess
what Germany's reply to President Will
son would have been had her navy the
absolute command of the seas which the
English navy is holding, instead of lying
at anchor in Kiel harbor, her Dread
naughts evidently dreading something.
Is it not a significant comment on the
statement that with perhaps the excep-
ton of one obsolete specimen not Ger
man dreadnaught has been at large?
And that the whole of the British fleet
now active at the Dardanells, with the
exception of the Queen Elizabeth, is of
predreadnaught type and not wanted
anywhere else because the supply else
where has been adequate for ordinary
purposes?
As to the rest of the article. one has
not to believe everything that is rumor-
ed. Read Duckworth's article in July
American Magazine on Lord Kitchen
er's great bluff England has allowed
lots of other dust to be foated round in
newspaper reports for like reasons, and
private letters from we'll informed quar-
tiers assure US of the fact that much about
strikes and drunkenness and discussions,
so called, is newspaper copy and not al
lowed to spread without purpose. Ger
many, moreover, is not so ascendant as
the article seems to affirm. She has lost
frightfully in lives, and has gained no one
thing she started out to achieve (save
the war itselfD though she began with
her men in ranks and guns loaded and
made the big dash which gave her tre-
mendous initial advantage, when her
neighbors were nnprepared. Again Eng
land is not fighting for he" ascendancy,"
but for life and honor. Incidentally all
other things are of course involved, and
Russia from the fierce fighting in Galicia
seems to have been animated by some
thing, if not bypatriotism!The article does
state one positive and undoubted fact:
''the allies have practically the moral
support of the whole civilized world,
and if any one wants to know why, read
Booth Tarkington's article in July Met
1.-THE American View" and
Foss "Gott Strafe England" in July
American. There is sometimes wonder
Tor admiration perhaps) at
Germany standing off the allies single
handed" and reference to the "Allies
and Germany" What has become of
Austria and her few millions of men?
And Turkey? Not to speak of their re-
doubtable ''neutral" ally, William Ran
dolph Hearst! The idea of German isola-
ton is absurd.
Yes! am puzzled by that leading ar
ticle and can only think my long time &C.
uuaintance in the editorial chair must