Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-28
German Sea Raids.

Sea tights are so rare in the present war that
any encounter of the kind bestirs keen interest.
The recent attempt Of German squadron to raid
LowestOft. the most easterly town in England, was
Of Importance in actual results but it indicated
that the Ksiser's feet is still in an adventurous
mood and showed that the British navy still holds
its srgus-eyed and efectual watch. According to
Londons account of the episode, the German
cruisers hastily retrested after engagement of
twenty minutes with the British patrol.
This is the fourth naval sortie against the Eng
Iish coast In November 1914 eight vessels of the
feet shut up at Wihelmshaven stole across the
North Sea and at dawn appeared on Yarmouth.
They sheIled the town for half an hour and then
returned. One of the German ships struck mine
and sank with three hundred men. A pursuing
British submarine also struck a mine and went
down.
About month later occurred the MOST impoT-
tant of all the raids Scarborough, whiCby and
HartIepool, hundred miles north of Lowestoft,
sere bombarded with a resultant loss of one hun
dred and thirty civilian lives. Two hundred
more persons we're wounded and the property dam
age was considerable. The German squadron es.
capped unframed. The boldness of this assault
shocked all England. and for a while supposed
10 presage attempt at invasion.
In the latter part or January, 1915, third ad-
venture of the kind cost the Germans rather dearly
They were sighted by patrol of cruisers under
Vice Admiral David Beatty and we're put to flight
before reaching the English coast, of their
number, the Bluecher, being sunk and two others
severely damaged. Since then English ports have
been free from naval attacks with the exception of
the recent dash against Lowestoft.
When one considers the expanse of the North
Sea and the muItifarious duties of the British
feet IN others waters the efficiency with which the
home coast has been guarded is, in the main, very
ereditable German cruisers have performed dar-
ing exploits here and there and the romance of the
sea has fallen almost entirely to their lot But as
for affecting the broad fortunes Of the war, the
Kaiser's navy might as well have been nonexistent.
The Allies have transported hundreds of thousands
of troops from England TO France, from the west
10 the east from continent to continent and ocean
10 ocean, without single disaster even serious
rnishap. Their commerce has been virtually free
from disturbance except from submarine forays;
and while these have told rather heavily against
shipping neutral as we'll as belligerent in recent
weeks. they have been of no decisive influence
naval or military affairs
The fact that there have been sea fights of
Importance makes the value of power the more
Impressive The British navy has been so strong
that IL has gone unchallenged. Without that
mighty arm of defense and control, the of the
Allies would have been exposed to formidable and.
perhaps. fatal dangers which. as il is. have not
arisen. IL there is one supreme lesson which the
United States in its present plans for preparedness
draw from the European war, it is that of the
Incompatible value OF adequate and efficient
navy.
Some months ago there was much gossip con-
corning the possibility of the Kaisers fleet making
an eeventhhoUr dash from its fastness and stalking
TeutOn hopes on one desperate fling with fortune.
Lord Fisher. of the British Admiralty intimated
that he looked for just such an adventure. There
has been nothing. however TO confirm the suspicion
The attempted raid Lowestoft is the only sign
of serious activity. beyond submarine operations
which the German navy has shown for more than
year. Yet. it is possible, and from some points
of view clearly probable. that before the war is
over the fleet now anchored idly at KieI will risk
a throw with fate