The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-20
DER TAI" DAWNS
At LAST FOR HUN,
BUT|N SURRENDER
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CONTINUED From First Page.l
the British. The blockade OF Germany
was not broken.
From its post in the north Of the
British isles the great British fleet kept
watch while the lesser warships con-
voyed q 900, 900 allied soldiers to the
scene of battle.
Starving at home, overwhelmed by
the mass OF fresh troops brought from
every quarter Of the globe, German
military power wasted away to the
hour when nothing was left but to go
to Scnlis and surrender, as Lee sur
rendered at AppomRttox Court House.
When, on Aug. !, the British battle
fleet, already modified, moved to its
battle station, the wal at sea was lost
to Germany. Within a few months the
last OF the German ships at sea had
been sunk or forced to intern. The
German flag had disappeared from the
ocean.
Winston Churchill and many other
orators uttered foolish words about
digging the rats out" but these words
missed the whole face Of the situation.
Unless Germany could win a Salamis,
her doom was sealed. The British navy
had taken her by the throat and would
hold her until allied armies could be
organized and could perform their
tasks.
Tho submarine war was a deadly
peril, only imperfectly perceived at the
outset 1t was the deadIiest thrust Of
Germany after her defeat at the Marine.
But this threat. too, the British navy
met, CALAMITY aided both by the French
and by the American navies. and even
this precious aid VAS slight. The sea
phase was the British share, the British
job and how we'll it was performed, we
see today when the pick Of the enemy's
fleet, the best Of that armada so care
fully prepared against the day Of Ger
man reckoning. sails TO British ports,
there to surrender, without firing a
shot.
Here Is a new vindication Of all that
Mahan asserted in the days before the
present conflict. Here Is an ultimate
demonstration Of the real power of
Britain. Her fleet has saved the war,
her fleet has won the war. not by a
Trafalgar or a Salamis, just as the
Germans have not attempted an Aegos-
potami, unless Jutland was such "A
venture.
But, after four years OF c~easeless
pressure, unhroken blockade, without
battle, the German fleet has surren-
dered on the most ignominious terms
n all naval history Of modern times,
| Had the German armies triumphed on
land to the extent that these OF Napo-
leon %triumphed, the world war might
have lasted as long, as the war Of the
hltul tUlpsINIs plly NlNlOIy OIL lhllu
could complete the victory on the
water, But while the British fleet re-
tanned control of the seas, the bppor-
tunity was always preserved against
the moment when II could be embraced
None Of us knows today quite what
the phrase freedom OF the seas"
means, But we do know quite unmis-
takahly what tho freedom OF the world
means, and we are having spread be-
fore us at this hour an impressive
demonstration Of how that freedom OF
tho world has been preserved. Between
us and German domination only the
British fleet a been an mistaken bar
rier for more than four years and one
may doubt that, with this lesson he
fore them. the British nation win con
sent to any agreement, national or in
ternational, which weakens in one
slight detail the single sure weapon for
their defense, which has been the sal
walton OF civilization. And in the de-
Tense of their fleet. which has do
Tended the liberties OF tho world, our
British allies can be assured Of the
overwhelming support Of the American
people. 1t Is for Britain to write the
law OF the seas-if she will.
Copyright, 1913, by the New York
TribuneO