New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-31
The Anniversary of Jutland

.he war began it ventured so far from Its
ports as to bring about a general engage
ment with the Grand Fleet Of the British.
We had heard before, as we have heard
since, Of the Germans searching the North
Sea for the enemy, but according TO the
British commander in chief no vessels,
either British or neutral, have on any
other occasion sighted the High Sea Fleet
far from German waters. This was there
fore the only opportunity ever offered Tor
p decisive encounter, and it is an oppor-
unity that may never occur again.
In the controversy that followed the
Battle of Jutland the sharp diversity OF
opinion manifested from the first whenever
the strategy and tactics Of the BRITISH
feet were the subject Of discussion has
been much modified by consideration Of the
conditions at sea to-day. Questions reat-
ing to the justification of the risks actually
run on that occasion are recognized as OF
minor Importance in comparison with the
larger consequences of the failure to de-
strov the German feet, and 1t is not too
much to say that some who were most CEN
serious of the conduct of the battle-crulser
feet have come around to the opinion that
a much greater sacrifice would have been
justified had it been possible to achieve an
other Trafalgar.
IT had rather see half my squadron
burnt" said Nelson, on one occasion, than
risk what the French may do in the Med
iterranean," and something Of the same
thought must have been in Sir David
Beatty's mind when he met the Germans
off the Jutland Bank. It has been argued
that there was no reason for the British to
precipitate general engagement, "be-
cause" to quote one of our most distin-
q.uished naval officers, "they already had
practically as complete control of the sea
as would have resulted from the defeat of
the enemy fleet" To force the Germans
TO retreat as they would infallibly have
retreated had Sir David Beatty refrained
from attacking before concentration, would,
he argued, have sufficed abundantly seeing
the German feet had been contained since
\ the war began and would doubtless so
continue.
4 The contention that the military situa-
ton did not demand a decisive action may
be well enough as far as the particular &C.
casion goes, but it is now sufficiently plain
that. in spite of the trite tactical maxims
so freely used in the early days Of this
controversy, full control Of the sea has not
been maintained, and it is no exaggeration
10 say that the state of affairs to-day is
direct result of the failure TO secure de-
cision in the great battle Of year ago.
The result was not commonly foreseen
at the time, either by the public at large
or by many more or less expert naval
critics. The Kaiser grew rhetorical and
spoke of the SCATTERING of Englands ty-
rannical supremacy at sea. There were
echoes here of the official German opinion,
and Mr.. Bernard Ridder assured his read
ers with perfect gravity that the invasion
of England was now a certainty. On the
other sile opinions almost equally extrava-
giant were expressed; thus one British adj
miral. on the strength Of Sir John Jellicoe's
report. went so far as TO count the Battle
of Jutland among the greatest Of British
naval victories, with Quiberon, the Nile
and Trafalgar. II was certainly not that,
as the event has clearly shown.
Now, there is no reason to believe that
in tho midst of all this excitement the
Germans were in the least misled. 1t is
true that a great deal Of nonsense was
published in the German papers, all more
or less on the lines laid down by the Kaiser
in his explosive address TO the fleet at
Wilhelmshaven, but the comments of Ger
man naval officers were much more mod
crate. There were occasional fourishes
about the blow to British prestige and so
forth. and a great deal about what would
happen on the next occasion; but before
very long the mind of the German public
was very deftly turned back TO the U-boats,
and the SCATTERING of the British feet,
together with the invasion Of Britain,
came TO be a speculation Of secondary
Importance.
Lord George Hamilton, sometime First
Lord Of the Admiralty, predicted great re-
suits for the British on the next occasion
of a feet action, for the German sailor"
he observed, though brave and well
trained, will not take the risks of fighting
against odds which the British navy ac-
cept." But the Germans had not the
slightest intention Of repeating the Jutland
experiment. Less than a month after the
battle, as it was pointed out in The Trib-
une at the time. the naval authorities were
already preparing the people for renewal
Of submarine warfare and discouraging
the expectation of further trial Of
strength between the main fleets. 1t was
evident by then what course they intended
70 pursue.
Admiral Rooster on ors occasion. after
dwelling little wilhelm the ppowess Of
- Latt II