Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-26

Mahan, thou shouldst be living at this hour!
The great naval theoretician, stepped in his
tory and in fact, the American who first
taught the English fully to know what their
sea power had wrought, would surely have
thrilled with satisfaction if he could have
lived to see the amazing spectacle of today.
A fleet in being" has done its perfect work.
With little actual fighting, its heavier ships
having scarcely been engaged during the four
years of war, there it has ridden at anchor on
the north coast of Scotland. Apparently it
was doing nothing. 1t looked as idle as
painted ships upon painted ocean. But in
reality it was exerting irresistible and de-
cisive power. Today it is moving out, but
only to accept the surrender, without firing
a gun, of the strength and pride of the Ger
man navy. The German cruisers and dread
naughts are sailing in submission to British
waters like iron filings draw to a magnet.
The Grand Fleet in harbor has exerted the
invisible compulsion across the North sea
which finally dragged the enemy vessels to
the most impressive and astounding naval
capitulation ever seen.
There has been much curious and unpro1t-
able debating who and what won the war
This at least can be set down with all conf
dence: but for the British navy the war could
not have been won at ALL 1t was the one
indispensable element of victory. The hour
and circumstances of the triumphant demon
stration of the might of sea power were long
uncertain. Just what event, what turn of the
tide of battle, would let the unleashed force
of the feet show itself supreme, we did not
know. But we always knew that the inexor-
able blockade at sea, like a hand OF steel
gripping Germany by the throat, and the
silent and mounting threat Of formidable
naval superiority, more visible and menac-
ing to the German authorities than ever
after American dreadnaughts had ranged
themselves alongside British-we always knew
A. xys1fov nH tic
power at sea greater than the world had ever
looked upon would draw the German navy to
its doom as the moon draws the tides The
last act is not fight; 1t is simply naval
parade. But it as truly tells the tale of sea
power as would a gigantic naval battle with
the wearied and SCARED victors sailing home
in triumph.
This majestic proof of British might at sea
is also proof of the wisdom of British policy.
English statesmen had to make their choice
They could not be invincible on the ocean and
at the Same time formidable on land. AS prac-
tical men they knew that their election lay
between a great navy and great army they
could not maintain both. And with large
foresight and a nice measuring of probabill-
ties and perils, they decided to insure Eng
lands safety by making her safe at sea. The
fashion was four years ago to cry out upon
English unprepareGness for the great war. But
we see now that she had prepared for herself
the surest army availa BILE to her statesmen.
They were held in light esteem in Berlin. In
Iand-fighting the English were contemplate"
according to the German standard; and the
English fleet could be kept at bay by mines
and torpedoes But wisdom is justified of
her children and it must today be sorrow
fully admitted by the Inundated and dis
credited military experts of Germany that
the long-headed English had been wiser than
they in making ready for the last desperate
wrestle.
German hearts will, of course, be filled with
mourning at the sight of their mightiest fight
ing ships going out to make abject surrender.
But the real cause for German mourning lies
further back 1t is to be found in the mistaken
policies and mad ambitions of German naval
lists. For years they have been deceiving and
misleading Germany. II addition to govern