The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-06-25
Control of Seas Chief Factor
In Bringing World War to End
England Realizes Curling of U-Boat viii Force Peace.
Satisfied With Army-Now Trying to Protect Shipping
By JUDsON c. wELLIvER-
London Representative Of The Timea

the war have served two purposes:
First. to push all reasonable prospect
Of decision further ahead than II
seemed at the beginning; and,
Second, to turn the whole situation
topsyturvy.
At the beginning BritaIn's navy was
the dominating maritime factor. Ger
many's army was all powerful on land.
Today the British navy has lost con-
troll Of the sea- and the German army
has lost control on land.
In this reversal OF form. however, de-
cision has not been brought closer. The
German army Is not supreme but also
1t Is not beaten.
The British navy Is not ruling the
seas; but the German navy has by no
means won the struggle for maritime
control
II II has taken three years to revise
the understanding Of what a modern
war IL without bringing decision in
sight. how long may II be expected to
take TO organize and win a decision un-
der the new conditions that are just
beginning TO be understood
War Only Half Over.
From the beginning Of the war there
has never been time when men talked
so commonly OF the possibility OF long
conflict as they do today. The men in
the best positions to form Trustworthy
judgments almost invariably put the
highest estimates on the duration Of the
struggle. A foremost British journalist
who had won worldwide repute for the
accuracy OF his Judgment since the be-
ginning told me that he regarded the
war as about hair over. Hail Game
said to me only today that It would be
a five-year war. and likely q ten-year
one. TIE publicists who even a few
months ago were announcing their con-
fdence that peace would come with the
autumn Of this year are reserving their
opinions now and display rather q not
able willingness to have earlier proph-
ecies forgotten.
And IL IL small wonder. Everything
has been turned upside down since
August, 1917 A fvw days ago
French military authority made the
astonishing statement that today the
British army probably numbered as
many tr0> Is as did the German arLly,
and that the British soldiers on the
average were more effective than the
Germans. II may be doubted whether
Britain has as many men under arms
as Germany can count: but there Is
good reason to believe that the av-
erage British as well as the average
French soldier is today superior to
the average German: while there Is
little doubt that in the matter of
equipment the allies distinctly have
passed the Germans. Their superior
ity in artillery no longer Is doubted.
They have more artillery OF nearly
all characters and calibers than the
Germans. and many of their types are
distinctly superior.
Submarines a big Factor.
1t is only since the unrestricted sub
marine campaign reached its present
stage OF continuing and Increasing
effectiveness that the public at large
has been brought TO realize the proba-
billy OF long war. Last winter.
when England was full OF soldiers on
leave from the front, It was constant
Iy observed that everybody in Eng
land except the soldiers was cheerful
ly confident that the war would end
this year. The soldiers were wont to
shake their heads and express mis-
givings. they knew the task ahead of
them better than the people who
hadn't seen the lighting line
The German submarines are inhict-
ing more damage upon the allies
through the destruction OF shipping
that the allied armies In France are
inflicting on the Germans through the
gradual destruction OF the German po-
sItions and the slow recovery OF oc-
cupIed territory. There IL good rea-
son TO believe that the allies superior
ity in artillery and other equipment
makes II possible for them to conduct
offensive lighting with less loss than
the Germans are compelled to sustain
on the defensive. That has been, in
deed, the rule OF this war, reversing
the rule OF former great contests, be-
cause this Is so greatly war OF ma
chlnery. The allies are establishing a
distinct superiority in machinery.
But the great outstanding develop
ment to this date Is the fact that there
is no such thing any longer as control
OF the sea. The Germans cannot sail
their merchant shipping on the seas
and the English cannot protect and
support their merchant marine. The
sea is no longer the safe highway for
either side.
The British feet can blockade Ger
many to the extent OF driving German
ships of the ocean, but cannot shut up
the German naval bases so tightly a.
to prevent the submarines coming and
going. II the German feet, would
come out and night a real naval SUI
premacy presently might be estab-
lished by the allies, because IL the
fleet were once substantially de-
stroyed Il would be possible for the
allied naval powers to attack the Ger