The Washington herald., 1916-11-19

circles as do their planning in drawing
rooms. would not be permitted. And 1t
is OF course impossible for a correspond
ent to get any inkling of the delibera-
tions Of the men who sit around the long
tables in the funny old admiralty build
ing on Whitehall and discuss the des-
TIMES of the world, but the considera-
tions set down above make 1t very likely
that such deliberations are taking place.
To turn to the three minor theaters of
naval warfare is to find North Sea STRAIT
egical conditions paralleled in each of
them. Russia has in the Baltic four
Dreadnaughts known to be completed,
and four others which, according to the
pre-war building program. should have
been in the service some time this year.
battleships and seven battle-cruisers
which, thanks to the Kiel Canal. may
come through to the Baltic from Helgo-
land waters in the North Sea. In smaller
craft, the German margin Is even great
er. The superiority of Germany over
Russia in the Baltic. therefore. is more
marked than that of England over Ger
many in the North Sea.
And yet the Russian fleet, which has
remained for the most part behind its
defenses in the Gulf of Finland, has
saved Russia from the loss of her capi-
tai. 1t was only the threat Of Russian
naval action that prevented German
transports from landing divisions along
the Russian coast last year. taking In
the rear the great trench lines which
stretch from Riga to Galicia. and involv-
ing the whole Russian northern front in
irremediable disaster Russia had no
troops which could have countered such
a move at that time, and even today
the scheme would offer every prospect
Of success were 1t not for the Russian
warships.
What Germans Have to Fear.
These facts are sufficient answer to
Germans who talk of English cowardice
in not attacking the German fleet in its
own waters. The advantages to Germany
Of naval victory in the Baltic would
be almost incalculable, and yet an at
tack on the Russian navy in the Baltic
Is not attempted by the German admir-
atty because of the same prudential con-
siderations that keep the British grand
feet on its own side of the North Sea.
In both cases, the stronger side fears
that mines, submarines and coast de-
fenses would neutralize its advantage in
surface craft and precipitate disaster.
In the Black Sea Russia finds her naval
role reversed. She keeps a more power
full enemy from using the advantages
of sea power in the Baltic to turn her
armies and attack her capital; in the
BLACK Sea 1t is her fleet which is the
stronger. and the Turks and Germans
with only a few ships prevent Russian
land victories Of incalculable Importance.
The Russian Black Sea feet is composed
of three new super-Dreadnought battle
ships Of the most powerful type. all COM
pleted since the middle of 1915, three old
battleships, five cruisers and twenty-six
6estroyers, besides seven submarines; the
Turks have only the German battle cruis-
ec Goeben and light cruiser Breslau, the
old battleship Torgut Refs. and a few
antiquated ships built IN the seventies
and eighties. Russia has found It pos
cible to assist her armies from the sea
to some extent; her warships played a
leading rart in supplying the army in
Armenia with supplies and assisting in
the capture of Trebizond. But in the
vital war theater Of the Balkans, on the
coast Of Thrace near Constantinople and
along the Bulgarian coast the threat Of
Turkish naval activity has made too dalI-
gerous the hazard of trying 10 land Rus
sian troops. And within the past two
weeks. during Mackensens amazing cam
paign in the DobrudJa, the few Turkish
ships have been sufficient to prevent Rus
sia from landing troops in the rear Of
the erman-Bulgar-Turkish ar
mics. Russian warships cruise in these
waters, but they are not safe for trans
rorts or supply ships, nor are there
enough Russian warships to escort the
latter to a landing and then keep open
an avenue of supply from the sea against
Turkish raiders.
Problem in Adriatic.
In some ways the problem of the Adri-
attic is most interesting of all at the
moment. The Austrian fleet composed
of four Dreadnoughts, five older battle
ships, and a number of small cruisers and
destroyers, has remained In its bases at
Pola and in the islands Of the Dalmatian
coast during the war. save for short
dashes. Its mere existence, however, has
been sufficient to prevent Italian attacks
on Trieste and the Austrian coast by sea,
Just as the German fleet has protected
Hamburg and the Russian fleet Petro-
grad. True, the Italians have landed a
force at Valona and maintained commu-
nications across the Adriatic, but they
have had the assistance Of many British
and French warships in doing 50. The
whole French fleet-seven Dreadnoughts
besides six other modern battleships-is