The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-12-27

for y miles along a narrow channel com
msnued % and i6inch guns a fcw
thousand yards away. so concealed thnt
ships.
The coast line Of schIcswig-Iolstein
Stretches u miles from the mouth OF the
Elbe TO the DANISH frontier. RumorS
nave constantly circulated in britain
slnSe the beginning OF the war that a
landing. covered by the fleet. would be
attempted on this coast.
There is one last defense provided by
nature Tor the German coasts. and that
steatiy restricted the area in which a
mas been neccssary to lay mines. For
instance. between HcligOland and the
miles. the camel Is u natural one. fiank-
ed on both sides by sand bars. on which.
aground. ~ 81
For two hours. sitting at a table COW
cred with huge charts. one OF the men
Upon whose shoulders rests the awful
ItsPohslblutT OF guarding the empires
lordship OF the sea. explained patiently.
repeating points my Undoubtedly brain
cYuld not grasp at nrst hearing, why an
attack on Germany from the North Sea
: impossible. 4 nave tried to reproduce
the main points he made. He asked 10
De eNcused-and this IT. perhaps not
without signihcance-frOm any discus
sion whatever Of the problem OF tho
the British naval officer when tried
10 draw him out about the possibility
" nt.t Iorclhg ,ths Great belt below
me kattegat and thus erupting into
KEEL BAY by Gcrmany's back door.
-Our conversation hc said. Is about
the North Sea"
In you opinion. / asked at the end
OF the demonstration. IL an attack ON
Germsny's North Sea. pOssibleg"
Not with ships ana weapons as at
he replied quickly. hut i must express
no opinions ana make no predictions.
have tried simply TO show you some 81
NME herman defensive mUHNHmWIa unH
YOU anu your readers can form your
ewn c9%nclusions d believe that the
public here and abroad should De- per-
mittcd 10 understand what our enemies
nave achieved by 20 years OF constant
OF millions OF pounds on coast defense.
IL j. the naVy-s tradition To- remain So
ent IN The lace Of nl-informed critic
ism, hut j have thought that there can
be no objection Co pointing our the cN-
traordinary bumoonory 81 "a commander
81 a German battle cruiser who can ask.
DO you. think the Eagusn 3ln couis
out. when his ship Is lying behind
mines, behind submarines. behind sub
does at once, behind even a chain OF
Islands which bristle with gigantic
Opinion Changes.
There has been. / have found. a mark
"a change OF opinion among naval men
In London since last June concerning the
between the two fleets. For nearly "a
year the experts chung 20 tho opinion
NNAN NHL ~ NNNAN ANNNN hMANu come OUT.
try 90 break into the Atlantic. scatter
cNcryWhere and thus force Ieflicor'a pur-
sums d~rcadnouEhts 20 scatter too. Then
10 was assumed the German admiral
would try Co gather his ships at some
appointed meeting place. a. Won Spec
did. hurry back Go the North Sea. defeat
such forces al were lCft Co oppose him Ina
those waters. and convoy across an army
tor the Invasion ot England. This was
the British forecast az the German plan
~hetaufc a. an OFFICER told me last
EprIur. DO seemed Co give the Grrmana
one chance in eight ~ beating Hrifaln.
and 10 other plan gave them any chance
British naval concentration were
adopted with a. Wow Co d~efcnfinr this
ilr't were in The First of Cromarty. I'd
th' north ~ Scotland and in Tough
WHY on The north coast OF Ireland.
should the German fleot try 60 break
hr fought between tho OrkucVa and tho
coast of Norway and fhe fleet from Ire
timo to help lf warned promptly whom
fuf German d1eh started should tho
Germans tr} the s~outhcriy route through
in, .gannDl it wns not anticipated that
any ships could escape Che Submarine
and other traps prepared for them. but
fleet from i.ourh swiiv could reerb
fho channel lu time to engage tho nF-
inE Germans IcIligo's main dctachmont
time tn fnIu In This arfinn but for
reasons Connected with submarines and
vas De rgute whig1
fHkr Hnu which r~nneruurnfIr The Get
mans were I.nef likely fo rrarv
have Irnk.I U. as tHe middiee put it
Ihr relative. strength N tha British nrct
rrsst.- tfsr 81 uss glsr 1- won III.
m.rfh4 nrn Hence naval men argue
.ra. fhr German attempt If ono wHe IH
.H.. THn m..fn.. ...u d.. fN.f ...