The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-10-06


, erward a returning convoy which has
been formed energies, and, under the
protection furnished to 1t, takes it's
way westward. Occasionally a st-ag-
gler is torpedoed, and mine victims are
at intervals found.
Holland, though neutral, has her
place in the blockade of the worlds
waters. Eliminating Dutch waters of
floating mines and anchored mines
which have lost their anchorage forces
the Netherlands to maintain an extern
sive force of trawlers. Her neutrality
would be frequently violated by either
side of the warning nations should she
enforce In any lax manner the marine
law of the three-mile limit.
In the western Atlantic the repub-
lies of the United States and Brazil
patrol with light vessels practically
the entire American continent. Cana
dian cruisers have their part in this
work. Due to the naval policy of the
United States every merchant vessel
in United States registry forms a pOr-
ton of the naval forces in so far as
blockade and defense against the I'M
dersea boats are concerned. These
vessels are armed by the United States
navy and naval gunners sail on every
ship.
The principal forces in the Pacific
are japanese cruisers and destrOyers.
They have taken over the former Ger
man islands of the Marshall and Mari
anne groups and the east and west
Caroline archipelagoes. The capture
of Tsingtau was assured through the
japanese naval strategy. They lost
by a mine the cruiser TakachidO before
this fortress. Valuable service was
rendered to the British and Australian
cruisers operating in this part of the
world In the shape of coal and NUM-
lions. 1t is signal fact that of Japan's
5000 miles of coast no foreign enemy
has succeeded In forcing an entry since
the Peary incident In 1853 and before
that since the attempted Mongol in
vasion in 1881 under Kublai Khan.
The most recent entrant I'm this strug-
gle is the kingdom of Siam. The kings
yacht and several antiquated motor
boats form their navy" which block
AIDES In its small way a portion of
coast where no danger is ever likely to
come. typhoons excepted.
British and Portuguese gunboats
have the duty Of policing the coasts
Of German East and Southwest Africa.
From Port Said to Alden the Red sea
IS quiet under the control of British
yunboats. /
In the Black sea the upper hand Is .
still a matter of contest. Both con-
tenders seem to be intent on preserving
heir fleets In being" to quote a pet
phrase of naval strategists. Only I'M
important brushes have occurred but
he addition of the fugitive German
Units, the Breslau and the Goeben,
nave undoubtedly materially strength
med the Turkish forces. The Germans
'eem to be more than able to defend
heir ports recently captured from the
Roumanians, and the Russians ex-
libit a distasteful temerity about at
acking In force. Mines in great guam
tiles have been strewn In these wa
ers.
In the Baltic the Russian fleet has
hus far pursued a policy Of stunning
ny action whatever. At least all at
empts Of German strategists to lure
he Russians from their blanket of
nine fields have failed. True, they lost
arlier In the war a number of small
nits and at least one capital shin -,
trough ill-considered actions. but since
he first few months Of the war they
eem to have withdrawn and conceded
ne Germans tacit control of the Baltic.
ONE small raids are reported, but the
erman admiralty has failed to COM
lent on them. They do not neglect.
owever, to plant, great numbers of
eating mines and thus make the Bal
dangerous sea to navigate. OBJ
'rvers have reported sighting large
erman fleets protected by innumer.
Die trawlers as mine sweepers steam
e through the Baltic. The Russian
'acuation Of Riga merely emphasizes
lie German control of this sea. A sea
tack on Petrograd is a possibility OF
lie near future.