The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-06
Naval Experts Declare Fight
Improved Conditions In tho
North Sea
INVASION MENACE
HAS NO EXISTANCE
Later Reports Put Loss Of Life
and Ships Higher-Seydlitz
a Victim - British Officers
Behave Well
BY Archibald Hurd, Naval Expert OF
London Daily Telegraph.

London Daily Telegraph.
London. June 5.-We are confront
ed with a new naval situation, which
may be summed up thus: Whatever
hopes the Germans may have enter
tanned OF interfering with the control
by the Allies OF the maritime combina-
tons of the world. must, for the whole
of this summer. be abandoned.
Conditions in the North Sea In
particular have been improved. There
is aim st complete assurance that dur
ing the holiday session the East Coast
OF England will receive no flying visits
from German battle cruisers. The
fast squadron of the German fleet.
after Wednesdays experience. will DO
in no condition to make another ex-
cursion to our side OF the North Sea.
Although the British naval forces viii
certainly not relax their vigilAne
guard. the possibility of the Germans
endeavoring to interfere with the
British blockade. at least SO far az
surface ships are concerned, may be
for the present dismissed.
For the time being the menace OF
invasion has no existence. It may even
. be said that the raiding policy II
definitely placed for the present out Of
the question.
Wednesdays battle will react on the
conditions in the Baltic. German naval
forces are in no condition to under.
take for some weeks offensive opera
tons in the Baltic. Thus the action
in the North Sea contributed to the
further safety of the right wing OF the
Russian armies which rests on the
Gulf of Riga
Although 1t is a matter for regret
that the German high seas fleet still
exists consolation must be extracted
from the assurance that 1t no longer
counts for as much as II did: II indeed
1t counts at all in the balance of power
at sea.
The supremacy and prestige of the
British feet has been reinforced to the
advantage, not only of this country.
but OF all the allies
| Seydlitx Sunk or Badly Hurt
! Residents of Schleswig have been
! informed that sailors from there were
killed on the Seydlitz and the vessel
was sunk. 1t Is believed. according to
an Exchange Telegram dispatch from
/ Copenhagen, which quotes a report
| from Ribe, Jutland. to the Aalborg
Stifts- Tidende.
| Yesterday the Stifts-Tidende print-
| ed report that the Seydlitz a rs, 000-
ton German battle cruiser, was sight
ed Thursday off FARGO Island. badly
damaged. and fleeing from British
warships.
A Reuter- dispatch from Berlin tells
of visit the Kaiser made to Will
helmshaven Sunday. on which occa-
sion he congratulated the oficers and
men of the high seas feet
! Vice Admiral Scheer's reply to COM
gratulations from Duke Johann ALI
brecht, of Mecklenberg, as reported
| in an Amsterdam dispatch, contained
these words; May 1t be given to the
fleet to fulfill all expectations and to
contribute further to the great aim
of German influence on and across
the sea-
British Loss of Life Grows.
| London June 5.-Report Of 349 ad.
ditional casualties among the British
| fleet in the battle of Skagerak was
made by the admiralty tonight In
an official statement 1t was announced
that 116 petty officers and 233 men
of the crews of vessels not sunk were
| lost during the engagement
London. June 5-The admiralty 70.
night issued the following statements:
I'm one or two newspapers doubts
have been raised as to the professional
conduct at sea OF the officers in high
command who took part in the recent
naval battle.
TT cannot be too clearly stated that,
as no definite report from the com.
mander in chief has been published
or even received. any attempts to critl.
cize the direction of operations must
be wholly conjectural. Such asper-
sions infiict grave injustice on the able
and gallant officers to whose care IL
confided the command of His Majes-
TVS squadrons and ships"