Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-25


German dreadnaughts, has
q aroused keen interest among
naval men throughout the world.
Wherever officers meet the idea adj
vances itself. IF we had been there
with our ships, what would we have
done? How would we have played the
game?"
The officers, both active and retired
of the United States Navy are no ex-
ception to the rule, and they look
eagerly for every scrap of news that
will throw light upon the movements
of the squadrons that afternoon in the
mist anG try to raise the screen of
night to learn what happened when
the destroyers sent their merciless as
sault against the mighty ships of the
opposed fleets.
One officer, whose great technical
skill is well known, piecing together
the best information he has been able
b to get, has worked out the following
story of the battle:
The high sea fleets of Germany and
3 England have been in conflict; and
: except that some thirty ships of nearly
/ 900 tonnage. costing perhaps $780,
600 900 and carrying 10000 men, have
4 gone to the bottom, nothing much has
happened -,
sureness, has had Jar. the German
populace is jubilant and their naval
officers know that they are helpless 10
I break the strange hold which the
larger navy has upon them.
mo one this side the Atlantic knows
how II all happened or ended. but II is
certain. whether the German loss were
as small as that nation claims as
nd nc n
fleet Will not soon come out again to
attack its defeated enemy and take
over the sea power which ITS enthusl-
astic admirers assert that il has won.
The Teutonic strategy which seems
to have been TO induce inferior portions
of the British fleet to come over and
place themselves where the Germa n
force could pound them was perfectly
executed and entirely successful They
took UP the psychology OF the thing
and c3lmly reckoned upon the i'm
petuouA nature Of the British admiral.
deliberately exposed their cruisers and
banked upon his fighting spirit and
English tradition to prevent his retir-
ing when he found his division in the
face of the enemy fleet 70 ng out:
They believed they could b.: ne bull.
Down in the southeast CO OF the
North sea. behind the citade- aud of
Helgoland. lies the opening Of the
tected by shore batteries aad mines,
and there the fleet formed-dread-
naughts, battle cruisers. cruisers. der
stroyers and Zeppeiins. 1t is safe to
say that every move had been worked
out on the game board. studied. learned
by heart. until every commanding OFF,
Ger knew what his ship was expected
TO do, and every officer and man knew
his part.
From reports. so far, IL appears that
IL was planned that submarines Were
10 play part in this complicated game,
for il is claimed that at least one was
Destroyed. but IT is doubtful whether
they succeeded.
Their battle cruisers are believed TO
he slightly inferior to the English In
| eoeed and in size of guns. which are
eleven or eleven and a half inch against
ftreen or fifteen and half inch, and
they are fewer in number. 1t. there
fore, would be unwise to pit them un
supoorted against Admiral Beatty s
battle cruiser squadron. In fact. rather
tIan do this. at the Dozgerbank they
Ead abandoned the Bluecher and run
at top speed to the protection of their
mines and shore batteries. The result
showed as all know, that this was not
because they lacked pluck. but because
faeir intelligence told them II was the