The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1917-06-14

fights upon it's belly has been repeat
eddy demonstrated in the present
struggle.
Grub, guns and gold, form an all
powerful trinity, before which even
German autocracy must eventually
bow.
The question of availa BILE supply,
awakens personal interest, the prob
fem of transportation and distribution
is so vast, so complex, as to engage
the best trained minds of allied genius.
Primarily the command of the sea
is absolutely essential and brief re-
view of the work of the British navy
is perhaps pardonable. The control
of raw materials becomes secondary
alone to that of food, and such control,
is today unquestionably exercised by
ships, we have the men, we have the
money, too, but for true understand
ing of the naval factor, we must be-
gin at the beginning.
Scanning history's pages we. find
pictured proud Phillip of Spain, piqued
by the scorn of Elizabeth, for his prof
fered affection, blessing the departure
of an invincable Armada, which later
crumbled before the superior seaman
ship Of England's sailors. The down.
fall of Spain followed. The suprem-
acy of the Dutch, was in the opinion
of Van Tromp, beyond question. With
broom at the masthead of his flag
ship, the world was warned that all
opposition would be merely swept
aside. But an awkwardness, resulted
in disastrous defeat, and the fruits
of victory gave to England the nue.
leus of colonial empire. The
achievements of Nelson, at Trafalgar
and Abonkir, checked the career of the
hitherto irresistible Napoleon, being
finally responsible for the overthrow
of his desptoic power and subsequent
captivity. The assembling in 1901
at Spithead of the greatest fleet the
world has witnessed, caused Germany
to hesitate, and left unchallenged, the
supremacy of the seas, in the hands
of an Empire, whose outposts of civil
ization and progress, dot the seven
seas, the two hemispheres, and tap
alike the granaries of the world, her
mineral wealth, and control absolutely
the raw materials so essential to
the progress Of modern scientific in
vention. The lessons we CLEAN from
history is that the power that rules
the waves, eventually enforces her
will. From the outbreak of hostilit-
les the British navy has exercised the
full and unquestioned command of the
sea. The United Kingdom, it's colon
les, and dependencies, and those of hel
allies, are safe, and free from even
possibility of attack. Allied armies
munitions, foodstuffs, can be and are
dispatched to any sphere, and re-
plenished as occasion demands. But
every German colonial possession has
/ been captured and on the whole wide
expanse of the open seas, they cannot
swim a visible keel or loosen to the
wind the detected Imperial eagle. The
control of the sea is absolute, ever
acknowledging the temporary effect.
iveness of the su bmarine, exaggerated
though it unquestionably has been.
The defeat of the allied fleets woulc
witness the immediate dawn of peace
British armies could not for single
week be maintained in Europe, the life
and industry Of England would be
hopelessly paralyzed, the whole fabric
of war would instantly collapse. Els
sential supplies of guns, grub ane
gold would be no longer available
Prussianism would prevail.
Germany realizes her strength upor