The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-06
First Lord of the Admiralty Is Caustic In References to Changed Attitude of Von Tirpitz
BRITISH SHIPPING IS GREATER NOW THAN
 WHEN WAR BEGAN
Says That If InnOcents Have Suffered the Criminals Also Have Been Punished For Misdeeds

London, September 5.-O1:15 D.
 m.)-Arthur J. Balfour, first lord of
 the admiralty, contributes the follow
 ing letter to the British press:
 Much has been written about Ger
 many's military methods and aims on
 land; not so much about her aims and
 methods at sea. Yet, in truth, the two are so intimately connected that neither can be understood apart from the other.
 Tn 1900 Germany first proclaimed her policy of building a fleet against Great Britain and from the point of view of her own ambitions the policy was a per- fectly good one. She aimed at world domination, and against world domination the British fleet from the time of Queen Elizabeth to the present has always been found the surest and most effectual pro- tection. The Germans have every rea- son to be aware of the fact, for with out the British fleet Frederick the Great must hdNc suctuHlbtu to MS enemies and Prussia would have scarcely shaken off the Napoleonic tyranny.
 Whatever may be thought about free dom of the seas in any of It's various meanings, the freedom of the land is due in no small measure to the British ships and British sailors.
 Take Time to Build Fleet
 "lt takes time as we'll as money to create great fleet and German states- men were too wise to suppose that they could at once call into existence a navy able to contend on equal terms witl,s 2. power which, aS ttheS saw clearly enough, was the most formidable obstacle to their aggressive projects. But they did not on that account doubt the immediate advantages which their maritime policy conferred upon them.
 They calculated that powerful fleet, even if It was numerically inferior to that of Great Britain, would nevertheless render the latter impotent since no Brit ish government would dare risk con flict. which, however successful, might leave them in the end with naval forces inferior to those of some third power.
 This is the policy. clearly, though cautiously, expressed in the famous preamble to the navy bill. It is unnee- essary to add that the German Navy league entertained much more ambitious designs
 50 far neither the designs of the Ger man government those of the Ger man Navy league have met with any measure of success The British fight ing fleet has become relatively stronger than 1t 13 months ago and there is no reason to suppose that during the future course of the war this progress is likely to be arrested,
 Von Tirpitz Sees Mistake
 'It is indeed plain that after six months of hostilties Admiral Von Tirpitz and the government which he serves arrived at the same conclusion. They saw that the old policy had broken down and that new policy must be devised; sub marines they thought might succeed where dreadnaughts and cruisers had failed.
 'rhe change. no doubt. was adopted with extreme reluctance and many searchings of the heart Admission of failure in itself Is unpleasant. Though we cannot regard a government respon- sible for the Belgian atrocities as either scruplous or humane; even the most reckless government does not desire to perpetrate unnecessary crimes.
 "As to what the German navy must have felt about the new policy, we can only conjecture. But German sailors afs gallant men and gallant men do not like to be put on towards yop.
 They know well enough that in the old days, which we are pleased to re- gard as less humane than our own. there was not a private seaman but who would have thought himself disgraced had he sent to the bottom unresisting merchant ships with all hands on board and it can have been no very agreeable reflec- tion even to the German Navy league. that the first notable performance of ha n ehn Ia mil nny rather than privateering
 We may therefore safely assume that nothing but hope of decisive success would have induced the German min- lsters to inflict this new stain upon tho honor of their country. Yet decisive suc- cess has not been attained and does not seem to be in sight
 No Gifts of Prophecy
 "I claim no gifts of prophecy. I make no boast of the future. But of the past can speak with assurance and 1t may Interest you to know that while the losses inflicted by the German submar- mes have been formidable, British mef- cantile tonnage is at this moment great sr than when the war began.
 Tt is true that by this method of war fare many inoffensive persons, women md children, as well as men, neutrals as well as belligerents, have been robbed md killed. But 1t is not only the inno- cent who have suffered, the criminals ilso have paid a heavy toll Some have been rescued and are prisoners or war but aside from the very nature of submarines 1t must often happen that hey drag their crews with them to .de- struction and those who send them forth ,n their unhonored mission wait for their return in vain.
 Herein lies the explanation of the amazing change which has come over the diplomatic attitude. of Germany to- ward the United States. Men ask them- selves why the sinking of the Lusitania, with a loss of over HOO men, women and was welcomed throughout Ger many with shout of triumph, while the sinking of the Arabic was accepted in silence.
 "Is it because of the intervening