New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-04
First Lord of the Admi-
rally Considers the
Sea Free.
TO INVADE
WOULD BE WELCOME
British Submarines Are Inactive
Because They Can Find
No Targets.
~ C,5's 70 The Thsuns .

Par.e. Feb. 8.-"Le Matin" publishes
an interview which special CORE
spondert. Hugues Leroux, had with
Winston Spencer Churchill. whom the
interviewer describes as man so gen
uinclv Young and modern as TO recall
rather Il hero from George pu Maur'er
than n politician. 40 what end ".
Poux asked. ARE the combined British
and French fleets really working" ne
FRS, Lord Of the Admiralty answered
with a smile:
1T is only thanks 20 the British that
reirforccments can he moved into
France. Their safe journey across the
Channel or from India, Australia and
Canada is only assured by the pro'ec-
lion Of men Of war."
Leading the interviewer before
large scale map which covered one
wall Of his apartment, Mr.. Churchill
placed a finger on that single OF sea
and coast where. between Denmark and
Holland, the whole force Of the Ger
man navy lies hidden under the shelter
Of Sylt, Helgoland and Emden.
Fortified by Science and Nature.
There" he declared, IS the place.
Nature and science have combined to
fortify il against all attacks. Here the
inactivity and the hiding places of Ger
many are secured by two exceedingly
solid bulwarks. neutral power on
the right and a neutral power on the
left and these neutralities are IN
violable 10 US. As long "a the Ger
mans remain under the cover OF these
defences they hold certain facile ad-
yan-ages over US. When il comes 20
small encounters there lie submarines
Of which they are always talking. We
have more Of these vessels than they,
but how can we send ours out to attack
theirs? Submarines do not fight among
themselves. A single ore of their sub
marines which leaves its refuge and
can find targets in our vessels can
naturally DO more damage than ten OF
our submarines which are not able TO
encounter a single German ship.
1T is easy enough TO lose through
the agency of an enemy submarine or
an enemy mine of insignificant value a
battleship which cost millions, without
sDeakinp of the lines which may be
lost. Prudence, therefore. is indis-
nensable when one does not hide in
po-ts and exposes ones self everywhere
at sea"
ANNOYED at Public Ignorance.
The correspondent thought he could
notice Mr.. Churchill's annoyance az the
ignorance of the general public, which
allowed itself TO be impressed by the
apparent successes of the Germans.
There are" he said, certain tricks
Of the sea with which one has always
20 reckon. however powerful and vigil
liant one may be. No one knows better
than the Germans themselves the eN-
ccptional conditions which permitted
them 10 come TO our east coast and
throw bombs at II. They chose one Of
those days of the year when the nights
are longest On their way back they
were overtaken by dawn. If fog had
not protected them they would have
fallen into our ring of lines. Sunday
they experienced inconvenience in
meeting us in broad daylight. For the
rest. all these exploits not in the least
resemble the Decentralization of troops
with which we are often threatened.
and which, as a matter Of fact we
/ should very much like to see occur.
But this Is hope in which we are
likely to be deceived.
/ Let US rather talk Of facts. Let US
briefly review what our navy has
achieved since the commencement of
. hostilities. Do you know how many Of
all the German warships are still left
on the worlds seas? Only two are at
large. cruiser between 5000 and
1000 tons. the Karlsruhe and the Ores
den. and in addition two armed liners,
/ the KconprinZ Wilhelm and the PrinZ
/ Eitel Friedrich. We do not know,
/ perhaps. in what zones or in what
I South American rivers these two aux
/ i.iary cruisers are lying, but we do
know they ind il necessary to hide.
! German commerce is ruined. Those of
+ their ships which have not fallen into
our hands have taken refuge in neu-
trail ports, where they have been dis
armed, and now immobilized. The sea
IL free"
/ Turning once more toward the map
on the wall, Mr. Churchill went on:
Consider this map. Thanks TO the
freedom Of the seas, almost the whole
Of Asia is open 20 US and our allies. as
an ineXhauStible source of supplies.
We can say the same Of Australia and
Africa. That is four-hfths Of the