The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-10

BY FREDERICK PALMER, who ha
been only official representative of Ill
entire American press with the allies.
Copyright. 1916. by the Wheeler Syndicate
Inc.
wv re began this series and w
AHI close 1t with an article ol
w the naval lessons Of the Eu
ropean war for us. Our frs
thought in preparedness and our las
should be the navy. An efficient arm.
ut best can only stop an invader afte
he is ashore. An adequate navy vii
never allow him to land.
Without naval protection no force o.
ours or of any enemy can move ovel
the seas. With no naval gun to escort
them transports are eggshells to the
torpedo and the easy booty of the
guns Of fast light cruiser.
Every square yard of our soil and
every lock Of the Panama canal is
safe while our feet holds the seas that
guard our coast. But a beaten navy
means that the drawbridges of the At.
lantic and Pacific are down and the
road is clear for an enemy to work
his sweet will with the Monroe doc.
trtne.
This is the overwhelmingly impor-
tant lesson. | wish that could bring
1t homo to the United States as it was
brought home to me when | saw the
British grand fleet steam out into the
North sea, offering the gage of battle
to the Germans. 1t was spectacle
as convincing as addition and subtrac-
ton.
The only purpose of q navy is to
keep command of the sea. This com
mand means freedom for the commerce
under 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 ships that
ply on the surface there is nothing left
for an enemy but underwater cruising.
All he may show above the surface is
periscope, and that not for long. for
speedy destroyers watch for him.
Rule the Sea on Its Surface.
The British have twice as many sub
marines as the Germans, and German
officers, who are not given to misiudg.
ing their enemy, do not regard them as
inefficient. Yet we hear little of the
exploits of British submarines.
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. Ror
east and west, north and south. the
seas are clean of German ships which
sail on the surface.
England gets her food supplies from
the United States and Canada and
sends her factory products to her for
eign markets the same as usual, while
Germany Is In siege-a sea siege Moth
ing can enter into her portals, nothing
come out, except past the British YES
sells on guard. Mysterious that Brit
ish grand fleet, waiting in its unmen.
toned harbor! No daily bulletins of
battle come from 1t as from the trench.
es on the continent Its Significance Is
In It's silence. But every German sol.
uier, every German man. woman and
chlld, feels its power. That is the les
son 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
experts think, and Germany would
nave won. The balance of victory has
hung from the beginning on sea pow.
en- We must never let any side issue
draw us away from this main Thought.
Germany Second Sea Power.
The Germans did not wait for this
war to learn the value of sea power.
They set out to attain 1t by a carefully
Planned program Of the same kind
wnlch produced their army system.
From fifth place they went to fourth.
then to third and then to second. mass.
Ing US. Their navy being shut up in a
narDor does not mean that It has ceas-
30 10 be factor In the war. II has
only to lift the nets and open the mine
1elds and sail out when It chooses
intact. ready, 1t becomes a counter
IN any bargain for peace. The smaller
the world becomes. the closer the con.
1nents are drawn together by traffic
over the seas, the more important sea
Dower becomes. For us 1t must pro.
tect the Monroe doctrine, Porto Rico
Hawaii and the Philippines IL we |
shoose to retain them.
Why doesn't the British fleet 90 after |
he German fleet? Because the Brit. |
sh feet cannot reach 1t. The British
leet has accomplished its main pur.
bose while 1t keeps command OF the
lea.
Why does not the German feet come
'utp For the same reason that the
American fleet would not go out IL we
we're at war with a power having a
superior navy to ours.
Nothing is so scientific and complI-
ated as a modern man-of-war. 1t Is
steel box holding the latest ma.
hinery of every type. Everything Is
lone by scientific calculation. The
cientific system of firing is such that
'ou must allow for no human error of
lighly trained gun pointers, but only
or the faults of material or variation
the strength of the powder which
ends the shell on its long journey and
ariations Of atmospheric pressure