Evening star., 1915-02-05

preach the British coasts adds nothing
~ "hat our enemy has done or has at
.ehipted to do since the beginning of
'he war. says the Westminster Ga
zette today, in commenting on the an
houncement of the German admiralty,
i'idoe public yesterday, which declares
| tue seas around Great Britain to be a
military area The Westminster Ga
zette generally reflects the views of
the Britfesh cabinet.
The same effort for the past five
months" the paper continues. has
oeen made continuously against our
warships and transports with results
.hat nave been almost nil. From the
.nIlltary point of view if the Germans
turn from legitimate war to the threat
OF piracy. 1t is merely because in leeiti-
mate war they hitherto have had no
success. The use of submarines against
bnl.isn S merchantmen will no more in
1uce the government to scatter the
meet for supposed security against
these sea raiders than did German
mines and Zeppelins. or the raids on
undefended coast towns"
The Westminster Gazette fnfers from
this German announcement "that the
German people are suffering more from
tne pressure of our sea power than we
hitherto have realized"
Question Of Retaliation Raised.
statement by the foreign office
says:
THE apparent intention of the Ger
man government to sink merchant
ships by submarines without bringing
them into port or providing for accom-
mediation of their crews and regardless
of the loss of civilian lives, and the
! attempt to effect this even against a
hospital ship. has raised very seriously
the question whether Great Britain
should adopt in retaliation more strin-
gent measures against German trade
"It Is recognized that when any such
decision to this effect is reached due
care must be taken not to infiict loss
upon neutral ships which have sailed
before any warning has been given OF
decision announced"
Called Fantastic Blockade"
The Evening Standard characterizes
the German plan as "a fantastic block
ade," and continues:
What justification have submarines
for supposing that they are competent
to prevent the access of merchantmen
to the French and British coastso Did
they manage to stop a single man of
our expeditionary force from reaching
blown up few cruisers and one battle
ship that were not sufficiently on their
guard But when any precautions are
taken submarines are useless. They did
absolutely nothing in the Helgoland
and North sea battles"
Says Germans Copy.
The Standard says that the Germans
are copying the announcement made
by the British admiralty in October.
including the North sea in the military
area, but adds that there is one fea-
tute of the British declaration which
the VGermans are unable to initiate
I'VE gave incoming neutral vessels
sailing directions which passed them
up the east coast of England to the
Farce Islands, whence safe route was
given them to the southern promon-
tory of Norway"
The Standard continues: "Our inita-
tors can go only SO far rs to say that
neutrals may skirt around the Farce
Islands, then d-wn the coast by the
Danish and Norwegian shores. Such a
voyage Is already impossible, under the
British declaration of october last"
"Justifes Rigid Pressure"
The Pail Mall Gazette says: I'VE so far
have been loath to push our belligerent
rights to the last extremity. but the ad-
| yertised intention Of the enemy to sink
all msrchant ships plying to and from
our shores without making provision for
tho safety Of the passengers and crew