Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-03
GERMAN FLEET
COMPARED WITH
BRITISH NAVY
Despite Inequalities of the Two,
Teutons Distinguish Them.
selves.
CHIEF SUCCESS IN
OFFENSIVE ATTACKS
Every Type Of Snip Has Fallen
Victim to the Sub
marine.
marine.

ing Of the first year of the wal finds
that Germany has distinguished her.
self at sea, says Captain Perssius
In a naval review prepared for the
Associated Press. Captain Perssius:
formerly an officer of the German
navy, is a recognized authority on
German naval affairs and is naval eX.
pert of the Berliner Tageblatt. He
states that Germany's policy has
Teen to attempt to weaken her chief
opponent at sea by using submarines
and mines, to a point where there
will be some prospect Of success OF
an. attack on the main British feet.
His review follows:
Offensive Spirit.
"The German fleet may boast that
the offensive spirit it has displayed
has constituted the most prominent
and decisive feature of all the naval
war theatres. War was declared
against Russia August /, and on
August 2 the cruiser Augsburg bonn
barded the Russian port Of Libau.
The declaration of var against
France was issued August 3, and on
the following day the cruisers Goe-
ben and Breslau shelled the troop
embarkment of P%hilipeville and Bona
on the North African coast. Finally
Englan declared wal on August 4,
and on the 9Th the minelayer Koc-
nigin Luise planted mines at the
mouth of the Thames, II of which
destroyed the cruiser Amphion.
I'VE thus see that from the very
ou~o1 yv,n ~clryvc licn1nU.
ed a spirit of daring offensive. Not
only in European waters but in dis
tant seas we heard of victorious COM
bats wherein our cruisers were en-
gagged. In a majority Of cases the
foreign cruisers. like the home units,
fought against much superior forces.
an Germany the gigantic task Of
our sea forces is in no wise under
estimated. We know that the Brit
ish feet alone, so far as material
strength is concerned, is %considera-
bly more than twice our superior,
but we are certain that the same
heroic spirit of determination to win
exists in the feet as in the army,
and taat we can depend upon the
eff 'ency Of our material which, even
though inferior in quality, a brave
comparison with that of any other
Power for excellence in construction
of artillery and machinery.
1--WE don't forget that the British
feet, first in the. world and of slori-
GUS. history, is an opponent worthy
Of all respect. Nevertheless, at the
close of the first year Of the war, it
may be said without eXa2geraeon
that it's achievements do not measure
M to our expectations. 1t has lacked
# seems, the iron determination and
the ability to conquer.
Strategy Of Cadtion.
"The British Admiralty has held
strictly to the strategy OF caution.
The German submarine danger is,
", realize, partly responsible, but 1t
cannot be questioned that, as a con-
sequence of undeniahle evident lack
Of initiative, the, prestige OF the Brit
is;, sea power no longer stands SO
mistaken throughout the world as
formerly. British forces have been
victorious only in engagements
we're they were overwhelmingly SUI
pcrior, as at the Falkland Islands;
ard even this is not claimed by the
british press to be an unconditional
success, because the battle was too
costly in time and sacrifice. !,
"Our naval authorities followed
generally the principle of keeping
;~1attleships in harbor while attempt
ing to weaken the enemy through
minorwarfare, particularly with SUD
marines and mine to a point where
an attack on the maain fleet will Off
er some prospect of success. now
correct this strategy was Is proved
by the past twelve months. hanks
to the effectiveness of the suDmar-
ines, which excited the justified ad-
miration Of the whole world, it has
been possibly sorely to wound the
British fleet.
.'In addition, our submarine arm
has buised itself since the beginning
of the year in an entirely unexpected
a as a destroyer of commerce.
Views may differ as to the final out
come in this field, but it Is undeni-
able that 2 nation like Germany,
whose commerce has been driven
from the seas but which an subslst
without lmpOTCS, Ids al
ary advantage over a country depend
ont almost entirely, like Britain, up
on importations of food and raw ma
: rails across the water. The sub
marine danger unquestionably
weighs like a nightmare upon the in.
h,bitants of the sea-washed land.
IN fortune results Of the wide ex-
tension, as we hope, Of the fruitful
activity Of our submarines cannot be
predicted, but the expectation is gen
erally cherished in Germany that the
submarine campaign will help to &C
celerate the demand for peace IN
England.
Submarine Deadly.
"Every tpye of warship has fallen
victim to German submarines-theP
battleships Formidable. Triumph and
Majestic, the armoured cruisers
Rogue, Cressy and Aboukir. tae Rus
sian armoured cruiser Palla5a, the
cruisers Hawke and Pathfinder n
the British destroyer Recruit, for ex-
ample-and neither the express
steamer nor the slow fishing boat Is
alta from our deadly t%orpedoes.
I'm addition, the arial arm o. the