New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-25
Churchill Demands
Attack on Germany
BY Allied Fleets
Sees Disaster if Allied War
ships Continue Idle
During the War

London, June 24.-Winston Spencer
Churchill, in an article in "The Sunday
Pictorial demands an aggressive pol
icy for the vast surplus fleets under
the Allies command, especially since
Americas entrance into the war.
"The Allied navies," he declared,
"have to-day at least two dreadnoughts
for every ore at the disposal Of Ger
many and Austria, and, in addition,
more than four old battleships to one
for the enemy. But the superiority in
weight Of metal. modernity and ton
mage is far greater even than these in
mense figures imply. Are we really
% be content TO see this vast mass Of
about two hundred bsttleships wait
ldle on the oftchance of the German
feet emerging to fight, until peace
perhaps an unsatisfactory peace is de-
clared?
when three old battleships were
.rnk in the Dardanelles il was repre-
sented as a great naval disaster, but
what kind of q disaster would it De
when, on the day peace is signed, hun
dreds Of battlcships are found to have
peen practically unused and pass into
obsolescence, 10 be supplanted IN
future wars by airplanes and suoma-
rines?
we must have vast blue-water =
feet capable Of engaging the full
strength of the enemy with good pros
pects Of success, but after that has
been provided for an immense surplus
of old but valuable vessels remains,
and it is in their adoption for and en-
plovmcnt in aggressive action that
c~cape from the present deadlock car
stlll be found.
aft is only when we are able to de-
viec and execute some method of az
,.ressive naval warfare against the Ger
T,ans that we shall find their weakness
and our strength; that we shall liber-
ate our splendid navy from the en-
cbsnted circle the submarine aas
drawn about il and compel our enc
mics 10 absorb themselves so much m
,bc process Of their own defence as
70 leave them no leisure to compass
our ruin
The combined naval force of t"e
G~and Alliance. including only dread
roughts. pre-dresdnoughts and battle
cruisers. opposes approximately 10
capital ships 10 siXty-six similar SHIPS
Of the Central Powers. However, thc
quoted figures for none Of the bel
4 l.gerents, except the United States, are
accurate.
Thus. exclusive Of losses in the war
[ Great Britain is supposed 10 have sew
,nty-sevcn capital ships and Germany
+ forty-eight. But what the relative
I losses arc cannot be established, and
/ both powers are known TO have more
than replaced any loss sustained. / ne
navies Of both countries are believed
20 be stronger now than at the begin
ninZ Of the war.
Moreover, the full weight Of the Al.
/ licg' capital feet cannot be thrown
against Germany forty-eight ships
i Farccs must be detached TO contain the
Austrian feet Of sixteen. for which
work Italy possesses only thirteen caJ.
,,ol ships. Turkeys capital feet oil
wo. or four II the Goeben and tho
gretlau be counted, might be contained
Nv Russia's Black Sea feet. Tn,
limited stAtcs's feet Of thirty-four cap.
i,nl ships may be counted an unim
psired addition 20 the forces Of rho
Entente. but Japan Is hardly likely e.
eend her entire feet Of thirteen drehd
nonghts and pre-droadnough,s into tn
.Sorh Sea.