Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-06
Only Purpose of a Navy.

Only Purpose of Navy.
The only purpose of a navy is TO keep
command of the sea. This command
means freedom for the commerce I'M
der its flag. Commerce moves on the
surface of the sea. We don't take a
submarine when we go to Europe or
send our wheat to Europe on a sub
marine. When gunfire has swept the
seas clear of any enemy's ship that
plies on the surface there is nothing
left for an enemy but underwater cruis-
ing. All he may show above the sur
face is a periscope-and that not for
long. For speedy destroyers are watch
ing for him. and hydroplanes are trail
ing his course to warn the destroyers
of his location. He dare not face an
open fight. He must hide in the sea a s
the highwayman hides in cave by
day before he goes forth by night to
hold up the rich traveller. His part is
that of an epidemic of burglary in
town. The burglars may cause lot
of annoyance to the police, they may
take a good deal of booty. but the
banks keep open and the traffic of the
streets Of the town go on as usual
The British have twice as many sub
marines as the Germans, and German
ing their enemy, do not regard them as
inefficient. Yet we hear little of the
exploits of British submarines. They
have ranged the Mediterranean and
the North sea without finding any tar
gets. In the Baltic they have accom-
plished something by forcing the Ger
man navy to take the same precautions
against them that the British had to
take against German submarines. They
have been to the harbor of kiel only to
fnd that German feet protected by
many mine fields and numerous nets.
Submarines Lack Targets.
The work of the British navy is done
on the surface of the sea, because it
commands the sea. If we command
the sea in time of war. our submarines
will be in the same situation as the
British: they will lack targets. For
east and west. north and south. the
seas are clean of German ships which
sail on the surface. Should one poke
its head out of any harbor from pole
to pole, except in the Baltic, a British
cruiser would go after il and run it
down. No submarine could keep speed
the roadside for the proposed victim
of its torpedo to pass.
England gets her food supplies from
the United States and Canada and sends
markets the same as usual, while Ger
many is in Siege-a sea siege. Nothing
can enter into her portals. nothing
come out, except past the British yes
sells on guard. Mysterious that British
grand feet. waiting in it's unmention-
ed harbor. No daily bulletins of bat
tie come from il. as from the trenches
on the continent. Its Significance is in
its silence. But every German soldier,
every German man. woman and child
feels its power That is the lesson to
bear in mind. If there had been no
British navy, or if England had not
gone into the war. the mighty struggle
would have been over by now, most eN-
perts think, and Germany would have
won. The balance of victory has hung
from the beginning on sea power. We
must never let any side issue draw us
away from this main thought.
The Germans did not wait on this
war to learn the value of sea power.
They set out TO attain ii by a care
fully planned program of the same
kind which produced their army sys-
tenn From fifth place they went to
Fourth. then TO third and then to sec
ond. passing us. Their navy being
shut UP in a harbor does not mean that
IT has ceased to be a factor in the
war. IL has only to lift the nets and
open the mine fields and tail out when
1t chooses. Intact. ready. IL becomes
a counter in any bargain for peace
The kaiser can steam his dreadnaughts
IN iht dnedu on 10 the peace con-
ference table as cards TO be played in
the negotiations. The smaller the
world becomes. the closer the CONT
Bents are drawn together by traffic
over the seas. the more important sea
power becomes. For us IL must pro-
ttet the Monroe doctrine. Porto Rico
Hawaii and the Philippines if we
choose to retain them.
Can't Reach German Fleet.
Why doesn't the British fleet go aft
er the German feet; Because the
British fleet cannot reach it, The Brit
Ssh fleet has accomplished its main
purpose while il keeps command of
the sea.
Why does not the German feet come
cut? For the same reason that the
American fleet would not go out If we
were at war with power having a
superior navy to ours. The German
meet has even giving up sniping. ex-
cept with its submarines. because in