New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-23
o,,, for Naval Pressure
Germany Might Now
Secure Profit
able Terms.
,v FRANK H. SIM0NDS,
Author Of The Great War"

! ..s power in the wars Of the past and
4,,,.ed lis prospective influence upon
10Y. wa. For Britain and for Ger
.-r Admiral Mahan's various volumes
..,rs the law and the gospel in naval
..,-v and 70 the first book Is asCribed
,-,ser: German Emperor's change Of
~ which brought his country and
ga, Britain 60 war.
Sec power m al the great conflicts Of
mast was rot Immediately decisive.
-i-a' Nahau has pointed out at great
18th ard with a wealth Of detail how
u French were able during years, both
re, Louis XIV and under Napoleon, to
in not only campaigns but Continental
,p-emacv. only 70 lose it in the end, be-
sgse they were unable to deal with sea
aver
!, or own War Of independence the
sive victory q Yorktown came when
-.aia had temporarily lost control Of
water on American coasts. Yet in
~, all the French supremacy at sea did
avail to save the French. because the
is;or could be had on land and was had.
osr own Civil War, on the other hand,
North used the blockade to its utter
st. and the possession Of sea power
-tributed enormously 10 the destruction
the South.
What so far has been the new lesson Of
power IN the greatest struggle Of his
r.; how Ia has that policy which has
ZEN known as Nahanism, as Navalism,
ased itself in conflict with the rival
-re q Moltkeism or Militarism?
Mahsni,m Has Prevailed.
Even az the present moment it is posi-
70 say ungua,idedly that naval power
Is achieved all that was expected Of it
lore than many expected it could achieve.
80 far it has supplied the single decisive
sment IN the whole struggle. British
power, and Il Is not necessary now TO
i;gss the relatively minor part played
the Russian, the Italian or even the
'slch navy, won the war, so far as the
rs;er was concerned, in the first days of
re conflict, and without battle.
With the declaration Of war Germany
came 81 isolated nation, so far as the
"a was concerned. save only for the Bal
+. First Of all her merchant marine was
5spt from the seas or interned in neutral
Drts. Almost with the first note of the
Il 70 arms Hamburg and Bremen were
-'alyzed; they have been parslyzed ever
ICE.
Next, within time that was brief, how
... long It seemed at the moment, there
re swept from the sea the few German
-';hips which were on foreign stations
'sl the struggle began. The Emden and
Koenigsberg won momentary success
asting glory, but only for the first
months Admiral Won Specs squadron
S@one success, the greatest, by the way,
'srman naval history, was, destroyed,
p he oceans were open 70 British and
I'd commerce. closed TO the German
e
''Ter had a victory been so complete.
20 IN the Napoleonic AID earlier con
the merchant vessels and the war
rs Of Britain's enemies kept the sea
90 some sea borne trade persisted. Ma
-''a took an army 70 Egypt and escaped
ne despite British command Of the
''s'' and Vnieneuve eluded Nelson on
"-'ai occasion. But under the condi-
~@ o. steam navigation sea power has
"ae IN fact absolute in its command.
The Navy and the Armies.
Arst result Of the victory OF sea
'sf Of the demonstration that British
""er was supreme, was the transpor-
" 70 France Of the expeditionary
"a" which contributed materially 10 the
''4' OF the first German invasion, aided
'~''ally in blocking the first great Ger
20 Tor decision on land, and was
%e'Hlve factor. perhaps, in hating the
''lO German advsnce-that directed at
he Channel
ron that day to this, thanks to British
power, hundreds Of thousands Of
| e.. " nave been carried 10 France from
|! r..'. britain and from the Colonies; the
achievements for France,
n. ~'g to a million now, have made
H.. ''@alock in the West absolute and abol-
~ ~ all apparent hope Of a decision in
{. 'ae same fashion sea power has made
~S'Dle 70 tr2nspor+ or,oia. +o Eorxyn+