The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-03
THE GERMAN NAVY.
(By Carl W. Ackerman)

(By Carl w. Ackerman)
Berlin, July 2, (by mail) fall of
Grand Admiral Won TirpitZ wSs the
chief event in the German Navy dur
ing the last twelve months of the war.
The changes this event brought in
the personnel of the navy, in the naVys
influence in politics and in the giving
up of the submarine war against mer-
chant ships amount to a revolution.
But the chief thing Won Tirpitz pound
ed into the thought and action of ev-
eryone connected with the navy re-
NAMED That was his aggressiveness
["Strike first and strike hard" was his
motto and although the chief has fall
len, this motto remains. paragraph
deleted by censor)
Won TirpitZ was the originator of
the submarine warfare against mer-
chaBtmen. His chief opponent was the
Chancellor Won Bethmann-H ollweg
When the original change in the sub
marine, policy was made last Fall, Won
TirpitZ, who wanted to resign, remain
ed although all his friends as section
chiefs in the navy were removed. The
successors were. supposed to be ANTI.
TirpitZ"
One of these new officers ] knew
very well through personal contact
every day in the press department He
came in inspired with many of Won
TirpitZ' ideas but because he was
brought in by a new regime he was
not over friendly to the Grand Admir-
al. Last March, when Won Tirpitz res.
ignation was accepted by, the Kaiser.
was in the navy department talking
to this official. Won TirpitZ telephoned
and asked him to go for walk in the
Tiergarten. A few weeks contact had
made the two intimate friends. The
next day ! saw Won Tirpitz. There was
nothing to indicate that he had been
defeated. He held his head as high as
ever. He walked in the same firm, con-
fident way. The same cheerful express
sion was on his face. He had fought
hard and long, fifteen years for a
principle-a strong, aggressive navy;
and he had been successful He was
confident that the spirit he had ham
mered into everyone connected with
the navy would remain. ,.a.,
1t would be a mistake to say that
because Won Tirpitz fell the navy fell
with him. The navy is as strong and
aggressive weapon as ever AS polit-
ical power it is not so prominent Tir-
pitt, since last March, has been in the
back ground His friends have been
fighting the Chancellor so far with
out success Tirpitz fall cleared the~
political atmosphere of Germany's in
ternal affairs. 1t placed Won BethmaRn-
Hollweg firm in the saddle as the
Chancellor and right hand political ad-
wiser of the Kaiser. It did not rob the
navy of Tirpitz' inspiration. This is
indicated most by the fact that the
Kaiser congratulated Won TirpitZ
among the first naval officers after the
battle off the coast of Denmark. The
Kaiser and Germany know that TirpitZ
made the navy and they are proud of
both.
AS a military weapon the navy was
prepared. Being the second largest. it
cound not be expected to control the
seas or any great part Of the oceans
against the Allies. 1t could, has and
does torment the Allies control of the
seas.
In three ways the navy has been ex.
ceedingly active during the last year
of tho war.
Submarines have destroyed more
merchant ships than any navy in any
previous war.
(NOTE-2 and deleted by censor)
Recently I have talked to two high
admirals in the navy department. The
chief points discussed were the poll
cies of naval activities. One of these
officers remarked that the object of
the raids on the British coast was to
suck out the British feet" While
England maintained control of the
North Sea, German ships frequently
made cruises northward only to find
no British warships. Because of the
submarine danger they kept to the
harbors. But as the Admiral pointed
out, these raids were at last successful.
Paragraph deleted by censor.)
said to one officer one day that the
English were claiming the sea victory
because the German feet returned to
its harbor.
THE first lesson in naval strategy"
he replied, lis to strike first and strike
hard and then retire before a stronger.
enemy. We would have been fools to
remain after we had won the battle, to
wait until the enemy could bring up
and defeat u.s."
Germany does not expect to wrest the
control of the seas from the Allies dur.
ing the war but she will damage the
British feet whenever there is a
chance. Naval authorities believe Ger
many will come out of the war with
the second largest navy in the world.
So Germans navy, as long as it un.
destroyed, is one of Germany's great.
est reserve trump cards. iG
(Deleted by the censor)
Tirpitz always will be recognized
in Germany as the man who put ag-,
gressiveness into the navy. And the
chief point in all Germany military
moves has been BE on the offensive"
1t always has been said "a nation
cannot win war without fighting,
without striking before the enemy is
ready"
This was Won Tirpitz' policy in the
navy, and, despite his downfall as the
chief, the policy has remained.
Separate Water and Sewer Pipes
An ordinance has been passed by