The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07
BRITISH NAVAL AUTHORITIES
ADOPT MORE VIGOROUS POLICY
E-Boats Hunt Gut German Warships, Even in Eastern
Baltic-Dardaneles Campaign Slow, But Resources
Seem To Make Outcome Sure

seem that the British naval author
tics had tired of waiting for the Ger
man feet to come out and be sunk
ii is taking a leaf out of Germany'sl
hook and sending submarines into T
the Baltic to break up German con- |
trol of that inland sea and wear down
the German fighting force by attri- |
;ion This was what the German tor
pedo craft of all sorts were to do |
10 the English at the very beginning |
Of the war, according to the Won Tir-
pitt program. We have shown how
the readiness and magnificent organ
jzatIon of the Grand F'1eet'-as the
allies papers are calling it-render-
rd the scheme hopeless before it
could even be attempted. The ex-
plot of "A British submarine near the
Gulf of Riga and other recent ac-
tivlties show that the plan reversed
ls serious possibility.
Helpless Men Attacked
The penetration of the Baltic
through the mined Scandinavian
channels is one of the most sensa
tonal exploits Of the war 1t fully
matches the similar feat Of a British
submarine in the Dardanelles some
months ago when Turkish warship
was blown up. The daring display
ed in running mine fields, shore bat
ferries and patrol vessels is of the
most reckless kind. The skill shown
in evading SO many perils is extra
ordinary. Whether more than one
undersea boat got through is uncer
tain but certainly more than one
captain and crew were willing to
take the risk for besides the craft
which did such execution at the Gulf
of Riga, the E-13 has been heard
from. Her running ashore on the
Danish island Of Saltholm was the
occasion Of one Of the most brutal
and cowardly acts of the war when
several German deStroyers fired on
her men struggling in the water after
they had abandoned her. Her mis-
sion failed but her fate proves that
the British fleet is not content to re-
main a static force. 1t is going after
the enemy at its own time and in ITS
own way. It's activity is further
shown in the renewed bonn hardment
OF the German submarine bases al
Zeebrugge and Ostend. This last
move may be regarded as showing
that heretofore shortage of munitiCn:
extended to the feet as we'll as The
British army 1t has probably bee1
thought unwise to waste shell les
something like a general engage
nent might suddenly supervene. Nov
presumably, there is plenty OF am
mupition so the work of reDderln;
the CONQUERED Belgian coaStllne use
less to it's tenants is resumed.
There is also great waking u
An the Dardaneles area of hostilities
The sinking of the British transpoT
Royal Edward with the loss of near
" thousand lives, including abou
700 soldiers. was the first loss sus
tanned by England in the carrying
far more than a million men fror
all parts of the world to the variou
theatres of war. The disaster Wa
the work of German submarine.
was accepted in England as an ir
evitable incident. There are said
be three German submarines
Turkish waters. They have bee
making Smyrna their headquarte
hut a squadron of Allied ships has r'
Gently bombarded that port, destro.
ing the submarine base and the p'
trol station. thus probably putin
a curb on future raiding activity.
Hard Blows at Turks.
Meantime the British submarine
have not been idle. The Turkish ba
teship Haireddin Barbarossa al
numerous other vessels have bee
sunk in the Sea of Marmora, and to
pedoes have been fired at lighters
lng alongside the arsenal at ConSta
t'ucple. The Turks can no long
use their protected sea as a hiShw;
for forwarding reinforcements al
supplies to their army defending Il
peninsula of GallipoIi. But the
rreme fact is the transportation
q powerful italian expedition to ia
part in the forcing of the Dardanell
and the capture of ConStantinople.
IS said that 100000 men have be
despatched. OF course their safe q
rival and continuous support fre
Italy is a result of overwhelml
command Of the seas. Eut IN II
the Italian and French navieS sha
The responsibility and the credit WI
that of England
The entire Dardanelles und arta
1ng is essentially naval perfor7
anCe. 1t was initiated by warshl
It's prosecution by land forces
made possible by sea power. Ma
gums aid in every forward move
the troops, and when the fortih'
uonS Of the straits are rendered
hocuous the capture of Constar
hople viii be effected by the all
Ncet steaminc across the Sea of VI