The sun., 1917-08-13
GERMAN FLEET
TO ATTACK U. s.,
CAPITAL HEARS
Report in Washington of
TeutOn Plan to Strike at
Maximum Power.
JELLICOE GIVES WARNING
First Sea Lord of Great Britain
Predicts Possible Sortie
by Enemy.

Special Despatch TO TEE Sun.
WASHINGTON, Aug, l2.-Reports have
reached naval circles here that the Ger
man high seas feet has formed a plan
whereby it may seek TO elude the Brit
ish Gordon and strike with its maximum
power in American waters Admiral
Sims, commanding the American naval
/ forces in European waters. has heard OF
II and Admiral Sir John r. Jellicoe.
/ First Sea Lord and chief OF the British
naval STAN has issued what Some naval
authorities here regard as a warning TO
( the United States to be on it's guard
from now on against this contingency.
Admiral Jellicoe says the Germans CAL
rulate to spring their naval offensive at
time when the British grand fee.
they believe. may be of its guard or
when. "at a moment owing TO the abb
sence of ships undergoing refits or re-
pairs. the odds were little II any against
them"
The Germans must not Admiral Jel-
licoe warns be allowed TO emulate the
example OF Villeneuve when he eluded
Nelson off Toulon and cruised TO the
West Indies and then got back TO port
again, having suffered little injury as a
result of Calders action. No; we must
not contemplate such a breAkout on the
part OF Germany, particularly now that
the American people in the war require
peace and security in order TO mobilize
their enormous fighting power"
: sortie Almost n Certainty.
Admiral Sims regards the possibility
. OF GermRny's attempting 10 send her
high seas feet out as by no means re-
mote. especially now that the German
!, boasts OF her submarine campaign are
not being fulfilled. AS n last desperate
. resort the sortie Of the German feet Is
, looked upon as almost a certainty.
. The German high seas feet was not
created that II might remain inactive
month after month" Admiral Jellicoe
, says and this idea Is generally in
dorsed. II Is fully realized that the
! German people VIII dema nd that some
use he made OF II and the German Ad-
miralty, according to reliable informa-
tion, simply is awaiting the moment
, when conditions justify the risk.
The idea of an open clash with the
British grand feet has not appealed Il
: the German authorities and, II IL be
neved will lead to an effort to elude tho
British fleet rather than meet it il
battle. The British idea is TO force The
Germans 10 fight once they CONT
out and prevent II possible German
war craft from getting out int
= the open sea. Once the German fee
!. had escaped the British naval Gordon
! IL is pointed out, il might be next to I'm
I possible TO force II into action until i
had executed untold damage on the higl
seas,
Plan TO ParnlyEe shipping.
That the Germans would strike a
some point on the Atlantic coast ant
would aim particularly TO paralyze ship
ping from the United States TO Europ
is generally realized, Outside of III
9, British grand feet the only other nava
y force which could challenge the GermA1
i war craft with any hope of success
y would be the American battleship feet
l. But II the Germans sought TO avoi
e action 81 might be extremely diff1cult 70
h Admiral Mayo 10 force the issue,
6 would not be safe for him 10 divide hi
e feet and any other gatherings OF nava
craft would simply be riddled at lon
# range by the powerful guns OF the Ger
h man hattleships and battle cruisers.
Ie II is because OF the potential impol
le tance Of the American battleship feet 1
le such an emergency as that created b
the German feet gaining the open sea
that no effort is spared TO keep Admire
. Mayo's ships cleared for action an
ready Secretary Daniels and his aid
g have just completed another inspectio
, trip 20 the feet. where everything
described as ready for any duty.
IN Meanwhile word comes from Abroa
that the fighting efficiency Of the Gel
man high seas feet must not be under
estimated no greater mistake coul
of he made than 10 underestimate II
n strength" Admiral Jellicoe warns. 6
T. the same time describing the Germa
lie feet as "a great war machine"
e. "It IL far stronger" he says, "thA
IS the British feet was ten years ago, al
N in the years before the opening OF II
war Il was submitted to a very thol
r ough intensive system Of training"