New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-04
CALLS GERMAN /
FLEET nNPOTENT
Balfour Declares That Jut-
land Fight Left Britain
in Control.

London, Aug. 3.-The First Lord of
he Admiralty, A. J. Balfour, has issued
statement for publication, in which
he says:
~Tbe second anniversary Of the Brit
;,b declaration of war provides fitting
oDuortunity for brief survey Of the
pr.sent naval situation. The conse-
,r,,ees. material and moral. of the
lu,lsnd battle cannot be easily over
iooksd An Allied diplomat assured
N, hat he considered II the turning
pOin, Of the war. T..
aTbe tide. which had long ceased 10
helm our enemies, began from that mo-
ment 10 flow strongly in our favor Tins
npeh AZ least, is true-that- every
wsek which has passed since the Ger
msn feet was driven, damaged, into
mar, has seen new successes for the
Allies in one part or another OF the
feld OF operations. 1t would be an err
ror. however, to- suppose that the naval
victory changed the situation; what IT
did was 70 confirm ~
German Fleet Imprisoned.
Before the Jutland battle, as after,
the German feet was imprisoned. Inc
haiti, was an attempt 10 break the
bars and burst the conining gates. 1t
failed. and, with It's failure, the high
sess feet sank again into impotence.
"The Germans claim Jutland as a
victory. but in essence they admit the
contrary, since the object Of naval
battle is 10 obtain command of the sea,
and il is certain that Germany has not
obtained that command, whilst Grea>
Britain has not lost il. Tests Of this
assertion are easy to apply. Has :he
grip Of the British blockade relaxed
since May 81? Has il not, on the con-
trsry, frightened!
The Germans themselves will admit
the increasing difficulty Of importing
raw materials and foodstuffs and of ex-
porting their manufactures; hence, the
violence Of their invectives against
Great Britain"
Deutschland Incident.
Mr. Balfour argues that if they had
felt themselves on the way TO maritime
equality the Germans would not have
so loudly advertised the Deutschland
incident, the whole interest OF which
in German eyes, was TO prove theii
,hilitv TO elude the barrier raised by
the british fleet between them anc
the outer world. As further proof Of
the impotence" of the German fleet
Mr. Balfour points to the ever-increas
ing flow of men and munitions IRON
England pouring across the channeI u
France.
tons" Mr. Balfour continues. It's Ell
fec.s on the war may well be decisive
Yet never has it been more secure
from attack by enemy battlesnlps OF
cruisers than il has been since th'
German victory of Jutland.
The First Lord refers to German ex
hortations TO look at the map ana see
the extent Of German successes, aho
adds:
"That depends on what maps you
take. Even the map OF Europe snow,
an ever-shrinking battle line bu,
look al the map of the world. All o.
Germany's colonies are gone, eTcep'
East Africa, which even as l wrlte
seems slipping from her grasp. mas
the battle of Jutland opened the
smallest prospect Of Germany regain
ing these colonies or giving mo-
ment's respite to the hard-pressed col
onists in German East Africa!
Submarine Warfare.
Mr.. Balfour advises those requiring
further proofs of the value the Ger,
mans attach TO their victorious fleet
10 study the German policy OF suoma-
rine warfare, and says:
"The advantage of submarine attacks
on commerce is that they cannot be
controlled By superior feet power IN
the same way as attacks by cruisers
A disadvantage is that they cannot be
carried out on a large scale consist
entity with the laws of war or the re-
quirements Of humanity. They make
therefore. double appeal TO German
miitarism an appeal 10 its prudence
and an appeal 70 its brutality.
The Germans know that their VIC
torlus feet was useless. II could be
kept safe in harbor while the sub
marine warfare went on merrily out
side. They knew that submarines can
not be brought to action by battleshlps
or battle-cruistrs. They thought
therefore. that to these new commerce
destroyers our merchant ships must
isll an easy prey, unprotected by our
shlps Of war and unable to protect
themselves.
Murder Of Fryatt.
They were wrong in both respects
and doubtless il is their wrath at the
Aill and energy with which British
merchant captains and British crews
nave defended the lives and property
Shaer their charge that has driven the
herman Admiralty into their latest and
tupidest act Of calculated ferocity-
al" judicial murder Of Captain Fryatt
Inc First Lord contends that the
use IS not worth arguing, that it is
useless TO do the German military au-
Moritles the injustice of supposing
.aey were animated by solicitude for
ne principles Of international law and
1'siaentally blundered.
D. me illegality Of their folly" Mr..
LIour continues, was of different
I'M nv. IL flowed from a different
ssOutse. They knew that Captain
,yat, was doing his duty and they re-
,s"eu al all coasts TO discourage lmi-
~ nat olunderers they are They
~ o. now to manipulate machines. but
ro,leAhagine men they know less than
rng. They are always wrong. be-
bsS. eney always suppose that if they
sn..., IKE brutes they can COW their
Smsmes INTO behaving like towards.
cha. Is their knowledge of our mer-
"a, sesmen. ! doubt whether one
d. found who has not resolved TO
nr,s himself 20 the last against
attack But If there is such