The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-15
SIR JOHN FOSTER CHALLENGES
 GERMAN NAVY TO SQUARE FIGHT;
 "COME OUT," HE SAYS TO FLEET
,Rx Sir EJ Inn. Fsstss Frazer,

In the days before the war you had tan invariable toast to ''The Day" You were proud of your navy, and you were supposed to be palpitating with eagerness for the time when you would. be able to smash the British navy. What is your toast today we have few means of finding out. but we have ansidea 1t is: '"The Day-may 1t long be delayed"
 or course, You are anxious to know whatever you can about our navy. You have your paid spies who ferret out what they can. and very likely af of information comes your way. i But you know it cannot be reliable, and you, naturally, wonder what our. sailors are really u p to-.
 1; Now, I have been on visit to the ' British Grand Fleet, have been with { battle squadron, talked to acmirals ' on their flag ships, been over super j: dreadnoughts inspected our latest ' cruisers, of the battle type and of the light type, been on ships that went through the Jutland fight, even one ithat you persist in thinking is at the ] bottom of the sea, been on a destroy CT just in from a patrol along your shallow sandy coast, and been in the [ belly of our latest type of submarine
 may tell you I did not sell all our Grand Fleet. Much of it was away i in the North Sea, looking for an ene- 1 my which cannot be found. But l a saw much of it.
 But now I have been and seen, I want to tell you some things which even your highestlpaid spies are not able to discover, because, you under- stand. the British Admiralty does not ! have launches waiting for them at }pierheads to rush through spraying seas to show them whatever they de-
 You remember that in the Jutland fight, when so. many of you Hmped home, there was a British vessel, the X New Zealand You hit her; indeed you knocked off a chunk of her ar :mor plate, because I saw the chunk lying amidships. .9s
 S And when ! asked what, casualties there were, the answer by a smooth faced lieutenant was "Only one, sir. You see one of our officers looked out and then one of our big guns was fired, and 1t blew his trousers right off-that's all that happened.' The New Zealand did splendidly at Jut- land The chief thing the men talk about is how one of the officers lost hi4 trousers
 Many of your countrymen thought i.th1t when the war came along the UQfnfnfons would break from old Hnzland- Now you know they are ftI<hter bound than ever. The people io{ New Zealand, besides paying for th6 ships gave it a '.tiki''-that is a }Maori green stone which brings good
 Whenever the New Zealand is out looking for you,. the commander wears the stiki--but I must say ii does not bring good luck in finding yo& But the sailors themselves ha.|b heard how superstitious Eng. lisH seafarihg men are-believe ir that stfkf' as much as they believe y0u shfrk fight.
 let me inform you, gentlemen o1 the High Sea Fleet, that you are ab solutely wrong in your conviction tha at Jutland you put under the War spite. Why, I've been on her. Tv. talked with men who were al through the JutIand business. Ol yes. she had a rough time, especiall. forsten minutes. when four ships wer, cozLtentrattng fire on her.
 we got twenty eight direct hits, ,saiX au officer, passing his cigarettes ''If was thirty-two," remarked a sen , for. sucking his pipe. They did no Bneer sat your gunnery. They said i was '.rattling good" And then show ' ed me one of your shells. It cam right Through her armor. You wi be pleased to hear the pieces are kep as nfementoes. nicely polished. an there is little brass plate attached telling it's history.
 All the crew are anxious to add t the collection. When you read tlri, tI 'Warspite will very likely be 6 S&& looking for you and "grousing at not finding you.
 Somewhere have read about tn enthusiasm of the British navy l.. me give you a secret. Our navy
 getting bit bored. It is also b envious of the British army gettin such a show in France and F1ander Tho navy has been waiting for thre years for you to come out in yor strength so 1t may have 8 whack { yen It has cleared the wide seas alE your ships until there is not tG4<man cobbIe-boat afloat.
 + But 1t has been waiting all thes ye&rs for The Day" that you used talk about. It is cruising the Mort Sea waiting for you to come out an decide matters. It goes right acro to your minefields. It looks at yo, shelving. sandy islanded coast, an has nothing to fire at because you al away back in she
 ally get deal of q -dcism from ilI-il alty get a deal of criticism from ill-il foFnned Britons, who think the Brttis InaFy Should have 'go'' at you wha
 ever the Costs. That is just what ye
 Wopld like.
 You would like our navy to comm
 suicide by driving full tilt into yo1
 mfnefields, and exposing themselv
 to the big guns you have secret.
 amongst the sand dunes, and with n
 a town within range worth bombar
 ing by our big guns, whilst your His
 Sqa Fleet hides in shelter showing z
 the courage of a man behind a fen
 n akipg fafess at the other fellow WI
 he knows cannot reach him.
 Our destroyer patrols are ever ru
 ming up and down your coast waiti1
 for you to come out Behind the
 Dur cruisers are ready to open u
 fray Behind them are the battl
 ships ready for the big business.
 And in home waters are other fl
 tiilas of destroyers and cruisers, al
 rquadrons of battleships all ready
 one. atwog1tlzpee. and four hours n