Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-09


fective. The range of the torpedo.
however. is 10000 yards and this re-
quires that a ship shall keep beyond
this distance to fight her guhs.
But in the North Sea the conditions
of light frequently make fighting at
this range or beyond it exceedinly diff
ficult-a fact which explains why gun
fire, which in some conditions can be
very effective at $4,000 yards, may in
others, at half that range be altogether
without result.
All Cruising Anxious Work
Further, mines and submarines make
all cruising by fleets very anxious
work, and in addition. these elements
Of underwater attack make close
blockade impossible. SO that, in spite
of air scouting and wireless telegraphy
the English commanders are actually
worse off. in procuring strategic infor-
nation about the movements OF the
enemy's fleet, than were their ances-
tors. For they could keep their ships
so close in to the enemy'S ports, when
the weather permitted. as actually to
observe the movements OF the SHIPS
within them.
This should have given the German
fleet the great advantage in strategic
initiative, but they have failed TO use
it. Apart from three raids on the sea-
coast towns and Won Hipper's abor-
tive excursion into the North Sea in
January. 1915, the German fleet has
only once ventured far enough from It's
harbors to enable England's forces to
get in contact with it. When the last
scrtie was made in August last, though
the fleet got fairly near to the British
coast, it retreated probably because
warned by it's Zeppelins that the grand
fleet was on it's way to meet 1t.
AS to the bombarding raids, these
were probably because warned by it's
Zeppelins that the grand fleet was on
it's way to meet 1t.
AS to the bombarding raids. these
were probably undertaken with a view
to enticing the English into the adop-
ton of false strategy by breaking up
their forces to guard all vulnerable
points.
Fleets Colossal Work
Sir John next passed on to remind
HIS hearers of the colossal extension of
duties the war had thrown upon the
fleet The mere number of vessels
now included in the British navy
amounts to nearly 1000. From the
Arctic to the Pacific, and from the
farthest East to the farthest West, the
navy has had it's share in every cam
pain in which the allies have been en-
gagged.
The supervision of the inter- neutral
trade, and the blockade of the enemy,
call for the visit and search Of mini
mum of 80 ships a week.
The administration of the supply of
this vast force is beyond the concep-
ton Of anyone not actually familiar
with it. But it's most important as
pect is the strain that it imposes upon
the sea service previously devoted en-
tirely to peace occupations.
Tribute to Merchant Marine
"Without the mercantile marine"
said the first sea lord. "the navy and
indeed the nation could not exist
1t is not merely that the war has alb
sorbed half of England's merchant ton
mage. The drafts made on the civil
personnel for war are extraordinary.
two thousand five hundred shippers
have been drafted into the r. ~ r. for
patrol and mine sweeping purposes
alone The executive officers in more
important ships drawn from this
source have increased four-fold since
the beginning of the war.
In an eloquent passage the profess
sional chief of the royal navy paid a
tribute, not only to the efficiency. but
to the entire devotion and unmatched
heroism of the merchant seamen of an
ranks And this is heroism not
limited to those whose ships now flying
the white ensign; it has been exhibit
ed in every form of craft employed in
the normal processes of trade.
The submarine attack has made
every man at sea a fighting man.
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