The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-11-13
Answering NJ. Kerensky's
Very Ill-Advised Inquiry
Concerning Britain's Fleet

Kerensky's recent plant that the BRIT
ish feet failed to come 70 the aid OF the
Russians in the recent Riga offensive has
been eagerly seized upon by pro-German
propagandists in the United States and
in Detroit
"see." they exclmm, England is put
ting the burden of war on her Allies. Are
we not foolish to fight England bat~
ves?"
And SO on. to the same effect. ad mimi
tum.
Because this bit of enemy propaganda
seems to be raising honest doubts in the
minds Of a Few Americans, let us try
lavinq aside for the moment all tan twist
inc irclinations, to give an honest an
swer TO Mr.. Kerensky's question:
Where is the British fleet, now that
the Germans are out In the Baltic!
The British fleet is just where II has
been since the beginning Of the war
hunting submarines, chasing German
raiders, and otherwise active in making
the seas safe for democracy.
The owners of the German transatlan-
tic ships now rotting at their docks in the
great German ports could quite easily
tell Mr.. Kerensky what the British fleet
is doing.
Aside from the obvious retort that, II
the Russian soldiers intrusted with the
defense of Riga and other Baltic ports
had fought as the French did at Nerdun,
there would be no need of the British
feet, there are a number OF intensely
practical reasons why England sea pow
err could not 90 to the aid Of her Rus
sian ally
In the first place, the narrow passages
which give entrance to the Baltic lac
largely within the territorial waters OF
the neutral Scandinavian countries, which
have forbidden them to warships Of both
belligerents.
To lend force to their ban they have
strewn the forbidden waters with mines,
Then, again, there are the German
raiders, which would not neglect the op-
portunity offered by the absence of the (
British watchdogs from the North sea
to slip thru the weakened Gordon and
harry Allied shipping in the four corners /
of the globe.
But most potent Of all is the Kiel canal.
This waterway, entirely under German
control. connects the Baltic and North
seas across the narrow neck of land 20
the south Of Denmark.
Were large portion of the British
feet detached for service in the Baltic,
the entire German sea power, taking ad-
vantage of this inland route, might de-
scend upon the weakened British squad
rons in the North sea and destroy them.
Then they could return by the same
route and, reinforced by submarines,
meet the remainder Of the English dread
.naughts and in all probability destroy
them.
The attack on the North sea feet and
the return could be accomplished while
the British attacking squadron was max
ing the long detour necessary to reach
the Baltic by the open sea route.
Then the United States navy alone
would stand in the way of the driving
Of Allied commerce from the sea
The British fleet is right where it is
doing the most good.
And, in any event, criticism Of Britain
comes with i'll grace from the man whose
country allowed the splendid British
guns, sent to it for defense against the
Germans, to rust TO pieces in the SHOWS
around Archangel, and left heaps Of mu-
nitions from the same source to the
mercy of the elements, while its leaders
sat in Petrograd and argued about
Utopia.