The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1917-11-09
ThE BRITISH NAVY.

There has been considerable criticism
because tho British feet has not passed
into the Baltic sea and thus stopped
traffic between Sweden and Denmark
and Germany, and later why did not tho
dreadnoughts Of Britain 60 the help Of
the Russians at Riga, when the German
feet was there.
The ''first lord of the admiralty" who
is a sort Of British secretary of the navy,
answers these criticisms, by showing |
facts that might not occur to people who
are not familiar with eea fighting.
A glance at the map shows that mar
row strait. "SkaRerack" at one end and
"Cattegat" at the other end forms the |
entrance to the Baltic from the Atlantic.
The shores are those of the neutral ma
tions Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The international "three mile limit" in
places covers the whole distance across
the waters. It is therefore somewhatsof
question whether any armed ship has
right to pass through without being
interned, though that part seems to be
ignored. as naval battles we're fought
within these straits last week.
But Germauy's great naval base at
Kiel, where it's navy has been "bottled
up" during the war, is only thirty miles
from the entrance to the Baltic, one or
two hours sail only.
To enter the Baltic the British feet in
force would be compelled to advance
slowly on account of mines, and the ships
would necessarily be forced by the mar
row waters TO advance in almost single
file. In such case as they neared the
opening in the Baltic they would prob
ably meet the whole German feet in a
broad line of battle, with the power Of
sinking each British ship as it appeared
by their concentrated fire.
But the first lord says that what the
British most fear is that the Germans,
judging from past experiences, would
not hesitate to again ignore neutrality
and rush men and guns to the shores of
the Danish Islands and fortlfy the pas
sage SO that it could hardly be passed
by ships of war. That is, if the British
even once got into the Baltic they would
lind themselves ia trap. -
1t prevented for any length of time at
this season of the year IN this way, from
returning, then in short time they
would be interned for the winter by the
ice.
Undoubtedly there is always a very
large British feet near the Atlantic en-
trance to the Baltic because of the Ger
,nan feet being at Kiel which has two
opportunities of getting out to the high
seas, one by way of the Skagetack and
the other by the Keil canal.
1t seems to be the general opinion of
military critics that with the present
guns that proper land defences are i'm
pregnable to naval attacks alone. That
to be successful naval attacks must be
in conjunction with assaulting land
forces.
Britain, france and Anne rlca have
very large combined navy, but as mat
ter of fact every ship is busy and every
ship is needed to patrol the seas, and
even then the Germans are getting away
with dozen or two of merchant vessels
every week.
To great extent however, the Ger
man navy has been an object of desue-
tude during the war as fighting mach
inc. That has been caused by tho siren
9Th and vigilance Of the British navy,
and has been done almost without loss
OF life or ship. That in itself has been
a great feat and is really one of the most
remarkable things of this great war.
On the land blood has flowed like water,
while on the sea- only three or four not
able naval combats have occurred. The
sea has been Redeemed with the blood of
many non-combatants including women
and children, but the loss of fighting
men and ships has been but little.
FREE SPEECH in COLLEGE.