New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-11
Damn the Torpedoes"

Mr.. Winston ChurchlllS latest thoughts
on the proper use of fleets-or rather the
thoughts that CHANGED to be uppermost in
his kaleidoscope mind when he relieved 1t
three weeks ago in The Tribune-are re-
produced at length in London by THE
Morning Post" which is apparently in
clined to believe chat the common sense of
the Americans would reveal the inherent
absurdity of the frantic appeal presumably
addressed to the British Admiralty to let
the navy get at Germany"
The presumption that Mr.. ChurchilPs
appeal is addressed ultimately to the
British Admiralty is doubtless correct;
"The Spectator" however, in its surprising
comments on his bold (f vague proposal,
has come pretty near to accomplishing
what was probably his Immediate purpose
to bring popular impatience to bear on
those who are responsible for the conduct
Of the war at sea. "The Spectator"
though not overload of Mr.. Churchill, was
50 dazzled by his alluring speculations on
chow to get at them" and thought the
spirit he showed was so "highly encourag-
ing" that it proceeded incontinently TO
show "the part the press can play" in
goading the Admiralty to action.
1t is reasonable to assume that this was
exactly what Mr.. Churchill aimed at; that
his intention was to create what 1.-THE
Spectator" calls "a state of public opinion"
favorable to his new conception of naval
activity and stable enough to withstand
the shock of the heavy losses which are the
only certainty in his foggy project for
getting at the Germans.
"The Morning Post" is satisfied that Mr..
Churchill's criticism of the seeming mac
tivity of the British Admiralty Indicates
a dangerous political intrigue" However
that may be, it is certain he is not alone
in urging aggressive action or in shaping
public opinion to that end. The process
has been manifest for long time, very
evident attempt having been made to es-
tablish the belief that our enterprising
strategists were about to initiate an en-
tirely new policy, at odds with the more
slow-going British. This belief has been
seduously cultivated Of late.
Damn the torpedoes!" is now the motto
of the younger officers" of our navy if
we are to believe the latest reports from
Washington. They are sick, it seems, of
waiting and are all for dispatching vessels
in Large numbers" to the mouths Of the
Elbe and the Weser, regardless of the
losses that might be encountered The
,yurpose of these vessels (replaced as
quickly as they were sunk) would be to
keep all the channels well strewn with
mines, the battleships standing by-we
are not told exactly where, but some way
cff-ready to sink every mine sweeper sent
cut by the enemy. When the Germans
find their submarines are really bottled up
in this way they will, of course, surrender
at discretion, and so the great problem will
be solved.
That, in short, is the beautifully simple
plan by which, as we are asked to believe,
our younger naval officers" design to get
at 'em. 1t has the merit Of being more
definite than Mr.. Churchill's; yet in con-
sidering it we cannot avoid recalling re-
mark lately made by Admiral Sir He'd
worth Meux, that however hard it might
be to win war, it was always easy to
l. o.