New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-20

The neutral countries adjoining the North
Sea do not willingly permit of the use Of
their waters, but it is quite certain that
neutral waters are used by Germanys sub
marines pretty nearly. with impunity, and
it is quite possible that the Allies have not
measured the three mile limit any too ac-
curately at times. But even without this it
will readily be understood, bearing the lay
of the land in mind that for a submarine
to get TO sea under the conditions | have
described is far from difficult. The North
Sea is very often hazy; in winter the days
are very short in those ATTITUDES; the sea is
easily stirred to roughness, and skilful
submarine commander can no doubt get in
and out almost at will. For the extensive
mine fields and nets which the English may
have laid across the North Sea must be ex-
ceedingly difficult to maintain in an effective
condition.
The Trawler
Each side has mine sweepers innumerable.
The English trawler, so much used for this
purpose, is a good deal like one of our
menhaden steamers, but rather larger. They
are good sea boats, and armed with at least
one good gun are sent out on the most dan
gerous Of errands. Their duty is TO find
and destroy mines that the enemy seeks
continually to plant in positions where he
feels sure some ship is likely to pass. Night
and day these mine sweepers work CON both
sides this is done), clearing their own
waters Of enemy mines and seeking to de-
stroy the enemy's protecting mines, and thus
admit Of dash on the German side, for
example, against the English cruisers and
destroyers which are constantly on duty, as
we'll as against merchant ships bound for
England.
Here again the hardest work falls on
the Allies, because it is they who are hold
ing the sea against Germany. The very
confguration of the English coast prevents
its protection in many places by mines, such
as are used to protect the German shores,
and thus every now and then a German
squadron in the first two years Of the war
would make dash at night lombard some
English towns as defenceless as South
ampton or Atlantic City, and then cut for
home. Recently this has not been done
very much, but just why is not so clear. II
is quite true nothing was gained by such
bombardments, which were merely wilful
destruction of civilian lives and non-mili-
tary property, but frightfulness is a part Of
Germany's military system. It is very pos
sble that the Jutland fight cost the Ger
mans a number of the ships that we're used
for these attacks, and perhaps they burnt
their fingers too badly on other occasions.
No Decisive Action
With the English mine sweepers, patrol
vessels corresponding to or the same as
our converted yachts, destroyers and
lighter cruisers constantly on the alert and
well off shore toward Germany, there are
further back the larger cruisers, and on
occasion the battle-cruisers and even the
battleship feet are at sea. Thus at times
the entire English navy that is operating
in the North Sea can be and has been at
sea. and on the occasion of the Jutland
battle encountered the entire German feet,
the first and only time that this has hap
pened. On every occasion where the Ger
mans have met the English, however, on
even fairly equal terms the Germans have
never fought it out. Whether they had
some deeper strategic reasons than have ap-
peared. or whether it was solely for the
purpose OF bringing the English pursuing
ships into an area where there were mines
and submarines, they usually ran away. The
fact remains that to date there has been no
decisive action in the North Sea, although
there have been three important engage
ments in these waters. In August. 1914,
there occurred the Heligoland fight, OF
which / have spoken above, which resulted
in the destruction Of a number OF smaller
German ships with considerable loss Of men.
In January, 1915, Beatty's feet of battle
cruisers and lighter vessels attacked a con-
siderable number of German vessels, bent,
il would seem. on coast raid. The Ger
mans. it must be said, turned tail and ned, |!
pursued by Beatty, who attacked them hrst
on the Doggerbank, rather extensive bank
where fishing is carried on, over on the
west side of the North Sea, about on the
latitude of Newcastle. In this chase the
Butcher, an older, large cruiser, was SUNK
but how seriously the better German ships
~ the battle-cruiser class, the Seydlitz and
Derfiinger (19l2 and 1919, were really dam
aged has not been publicly told The Germans
seriously damaged the Lion. which had to
drop out of action, and it would seem as J