The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-02-05

Sea Power the Decisixe Element
Early In. our civil war. the North
Isolated the South: but 1t took years
to reduce the fortress thus isolated,
and Il was always possible for the
South by occupying Washington and
our eastern cities. to win the war.
But ultimately the blockade was fatal,
whsn coupled with the failure of the
South to obtain = decision on land.
unlsss the Germans shall find a way to
break the blockade or compel the
1ritiah to raise It, there seems to me
no reason to doubt that the end Of
the war is assured. 1t IL a fact that
Germany has 90 far failed in every at
tempt to reach Britain; and her fail
urss have been 40 costly, that it is
didhcult. to believe that It is any long .
or within German power to compel
britain. @
/ Boar ip mind. always, that this war
y. In Ats main isaue, 9 contest between
the Germans and the British. The
|dtsppte between the French and the
Germans n limited to a single provi-
tnce. Russia and, Germany could ar.
range their differences by bargain.
Italy could be bought of by pay
msnt In territory But It IL not any
question Of relatively minor smport-
ance that separates Germany and
Pratain. On the contrary. Germany
bas asserted that Britain has de.
liberately set out to thwart her ex-
pansion. to check her natural growth.
and that II " only on the ruins Of
British asa power that abe can erect
that empire which Il necessary to her
existence. M
I Great Britain on her part. slow to-
percsivs the challenge. has now TAX
en 4 nm a. she took MP the challenge
OF Holland. Of Spain. aud OF France
both under Louis XIV and Napoleon.
In every one Of these cases Britain did
mot Pause with 9 victory or abandon
hqpe when she; wss left alope to fsht.
Fshs fought to the end and to
tafe destruction Of her foes. 30 far az
|thsir marine ambitions were concern
Fsd. hscapss abe saw in these ambitions
~ GpAril to her own existence. Today
Fshe has accepted the German chai-
Flspge - Rome took that OF Carthage.
(oAe II hpnding her energies and her
|pdwAr. rot to throw Germany back
|withtn her own boundaries in Europe.
Ebpt 70 ppt an end for generation at
the leas: to All peril at sea. She 10
AthtiAs. not to destroy the Garman
naticn.- but to destroy Germany an a
rival naval power and marine com
|pstitar. '8s
AbeorDsd Ia our study and interest
In the land operations properly i'm
yseasaa hy the masnitnds Of German
victories. we In AmaFioa a. indeed the
obsezyers IN the whole world. have too.
little Appreciated the truth that the
land operations aass lacked the char
acter Of . decision: and the fact that
they have hacked this character has
given 70 the naval operations an i'm
| [portanoe far In excess Of those ON
shore Hritish muddling. defeat, dis-
astsr on land have captured the naind
OF . generation which In too unfa-
miliar with British history to Apprs-
ciats that the same things have mark
I'd every great British conflict and
were fatal only In the case Of our own
War OF the Revolution. and then
merely because Britain at the decis-
I've hour also temporarily iost control
Of the sea. , ,ih
On the map. the German conuuests
make formidable showing, but how
much more impressive IL the ahow-
ing Of the British conauests II you
color the seas to indicate them. Some
day Europe will talk peace. but what
value will peace have for Germany II
II does not include In the terms the
right to use the seas? But how is
Germany to persuade Britain to con-
cede this right. II she cannot conquer
Il? Does any one suppose that G -
many will be able to exhaust Britain
before she u herself exhausted This
tis absurd. because Britain Ia still able
TO carry on portion Of her indus
trial life. and her resources in capital
far exceed German.
A tor ruin. when peace Is made. II
the British are able to compel the
Germans to give up their merchant
marine. even II they are only able to
forbid German ships the right to use
their harbors and their colonial ports
and naval stations as ports OF call. in
II conCnrf xVtth thoSr 1ltoo