Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-02
Sea-PoaUer Triumphant
New York Evening Post.

Mahan, thou shouldst be living at this hour
The great naval theoreticlan, STEPPED IN history
and in fact, the American who first taught the
English fully to know what their sea-poWer had
wrought, would surely have thrilled with salts
faction if he could have lived to see the amaz-
ing spectacle of today. fleet in being has
done its perfect work With little actual fight
ing its heavier ships having scarcely been en-
gagged during the four years OF war, there 1t 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 exertng irresistible and decisive
power. Today it is moving out, but only to
accept the surrender, without firing gum, OF
the strength and pride of the German navy The
German cruisers and dreadnoughts are sailing
in submission to British waters like iron filings
drawn to magnet. The grand feet in harbor
has exerted the invisible compulslon 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 unproht-
able debating who and what won the war. This
at least can be set down with all confidence;
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 demonstration of the might
of sea-power were long uncertain Just what
event, what turn of the tide of battle, would let
the unleached force of the fleet show itself SUI
preme, we did not know But we always knew
that the memorable blockade at sea, like hand
of steel gripping Germany by the throat, and
the silent and mounting threat OF formidable
naval superiority, more visible and menaclng
to the German authorities than ever after
American dreadnoughts had ranged themselves
alongside British-we always knew that, in the
end the very existence Of this 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
a fight; it is simply naval parade. But it as
truly tells the tale of sea-power as would
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 practical
men they knew that their election lay between
a great navy and great army; they could not
maintain both. And with large foresight and
nice measuring of probabilities and perils, they
decided to insure England's safety by making
her safe at sea. The fashion was four years ago
to cry out upon English unpreparedness for the
great war. But we see now that she had pre-
pared for herself the surest armor available to
her statesmen. They were held in light esteem
in Berlin In land-fghting the English were
Contemplate" according to the German stand
ard and the English feet could be kept at bay
tilted of her children and it must today be sor
rowfully 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 fighting
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 navalists. For
years they have been deceiving and misleading
Germany. In addition to government urgings,
they had their vast propaganda of the Flotten
veren to get it into the heads of German peas
ants and workingmen that Englands sea-might
could be challenged and overcome by Germany.
Warning voices at home were dsregarded. APP
peals from abroad were rejected. The steady
refusal of Germany to consider any plan of
naval disarmament is one of the blacklist re-
proaches of German craftsmanship during the
last 20 years. Germany's Future on the Sea-
was sedu1ousy preached. Well, she got her
powerful navy upon which hundreds of millions
were, as is now evident squandered; but its flu
ture on the sea was to be sail to English ports
to surrender, So much for the German super
menl