Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-05-23
THE BRITISH EMPIRE AT WAR; IT'S OUTLOOK

to show an utter disregard for death
The army today Ia a citizen army, IT
which the geHeIt.l standard OF intelll.
gence has never been surpassed by
that of any army. 1t is an army whicf
will have to be reckoned with, thong,
1t may have been contemplate" ir
numbers two years ago.
The Navy.
The only sphere in which Great Brit
tain was prepared In 1914 was at sea
Ry reason ard necessity she is a fea.
saring nation. No place in the United
Kingdom, is hundred miles from tide
water; AID even 70 the dullest mind /,
must be clear ;rat without supremacy
at sea she must fall prey to any
country possessing that supremacy
for General Starvation will always
be the most feared general in conflict
between Great Britain and any first
class power. If Britain IS to continue
to exist, she must maintain supreme
navy, no matter what sacrifices this
may entail. The day on which she
commences to economic on her navy
will be the first day OF her downward
career. For two years, in fair weather
and in foul, the British fleet has kept
the seas. The German fleet has remain
ed in port, with one exception, when
she left her shelters for a brief period
to hurry back after inflicting de
feat" on the British-a victory" which
Is o v1r uy IN a
to take advantage Of.
The British navy has traditions: the
German navy has none. The navy is
Great Britain's sure shield; and the
work she has done, though silent, has
been gigantic. She has kept the seas
open to British and neutral shipping;
she has transported enough numbers OF
troops to various theatres Of war with
almost negligible loss: she has swept
the German mercantile marine (5,500,-
600 tons) from the face Of the seas. Nc
language can adequately describe her
work It can be summed up by saying
that she has in simple verify saved
the allies from defeat. France notwith-
standing her superb valour could not
alone have saved her ports from seiz-
use In the autumn Of 1914; and IL that
had taken place. she must Of necessity
have been reduced in a comparatively
short time.
The British navy has not only had
to contend against that Of the enemy,
but IL addition constantly against the
elements and the countless number Of
mines sowed promiscously by the
enemy, to the detriment Of neutral as
we'll az belligerent shipping. The navy's
losses in ships and men have been
grievous, but not greater than those of
the enemy. and therefore relatively not
nearly SO great.
The new problem for the navy was
to find an antidate to the submarine;
an dthis has been effectively evolved.
In the first place. fishing boats, trawl-
ers, drifters, and yachts, to the number
of 5000 were taken over and fitted with
guns and other equipment of a secret
nature. These were manned by force
Of over 100000 men, selected from
trawler crews and flshmermen, all in
ure dto the sea and skilled in the use
OF nets. To this auxiliary fleet were
added fast motor-boats for scouting
purposes Amng the officers of this
fleet are found retired naval men, from
admirals down, yachtsmen. trawler
shippers, and officers of merchantmen.
The work done by the auxiliary fleet
in destroying enemy submarines, In
sweeping up mines, in taking care of
neutral shipping, has been Of an amaz-
character. When the number Of enemy
submarines destroyed. now known to
the British and German admiralties, is
given out, the world will be astounded,
and especially the German people.
The navy is today, after taking all
losses into consideration, infinitely
more powerful than at the commence
ment OF the war. At Glasgow, in Sep
TENDER 1916, the First Lord OF the Ad-
said:
$50 far as my knowledge goes, there
Is no part of our naval strength in
which we have not got at this moment
a greater supply, and in some depart
ments an incomparably greater supply,
than we had on the 4th of August
1914"
Whatever else may happen in this
war. one thing is certain-the suprem-
acy Of the seas will not be wrested
from Great Britain.
Air Services.
Great Britain prior to the war had
only few lighter than-air craft, but
now possesses large number, which
are employed principally in sea serv-
ices. Aircraft, Of the Zeppel type was
not developed, as British expert were Of
opinion that it had but little military
value.
zeppelins have been used by the
enemy for sea -soouting and Of invad-
ing the British Isles under cover OF
darkness and murder civilians indis-
both in the country and in
open towns. which latter are described
as "fortresses" Between thirty and
forty Zeppelin raids have taken place,
the number Of aifships employed at a
time varying from one to twelve, with
the result that, Notwithstanding the
fantastic accounts in the German press,
no military damage has been inflicted,
but unfortunately a number Of houses
have been destroyed and many hun
dreds OF civilians killed and injured.
Zeppelin raids cannot have the slight
est effect upon the outcome Of the
war, but they will have considerable
effect upon the terms Of peace.
The British nation has shown admir-
able composure under the Zeppelin
.frightfulness," which has not produce
ed the results hoped for.
At first adequate defences were lack
ing, but now, by means Of innumer-
able stations fitted with special guns
and powerful searchlights. and night
flying machines, these raiders can no