Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-11-13
BY SIR ERIC eEpDEs.

BY SIX EhlC GEtDES.
First Lord Of the British Admiralty.
In speaking of the United States
naval forces, l do so with the great
advantage of having seen most of them
personally in the course of the last Is
months, and / can assure the public
that the morale and efficiency are alb
solutely on the top line. Not only
is the keenness, technical skill and
organization of the personnel truly re-
markable, but, further, the material
of all ships and their equipment are
of the highest efficiency and latest de
sign. What applies to your fighting
ships applies also to your depot and
parent ships, and l think / may say
without giving offense to the great
naval services of the two countries,
that the intermingling and co-operat-
i've working is giving opportunities,
which both services are taking, of
picking out examples of the best for
adoption in and by the other service.
! am, of course, unable to disclose
any details of the numbers of your YES
sells operating abroad, but with the
permission Of your navy department
/ may say that they comprise some of
the largest capital ships as well as
cruisers, destroyers, submarines, chas-
ers, and many types Of aircraft.
Taking these various classes in turn.
would like first of all to show you
that your battleships are working with
our own grand fleet with the most
perfect coordination and efficiency,
and l had the very great pleasure of
Witnessing their arrival when they
first Joined up with our own grand
fleet, and was able to make a signal
of welcome to them on that occa-
sion.
Convoy Bslks Germany.
As regards your cruisers. they are
working with us in the White sea,
North sea, Atlantic and Mediterranean,
and / have seen them and admired
their efficiency in all these places. 1t
Is to them, as well as to the gallant
Tftfle destroyers, working with the cor
responding forces Of all the allies, that
the success of the convoy system is
due. 1t is the convoy system which
baked Germany when she adopted
avowedly the inhuman and ruthless
method of submarine warfare. consid-
cred inconceivable and contrary to all
noble traditions OF the sea before the
war, but which we now accept as one
of the outward signs. of the devil
which has to be exercised before Ger
many is fit to take her place as an
honorable member of the League of
Nations, in whatever form that oft
discussed organization may finally
shape itself
Germany reckoned to end the war
last year by cutting the sea commu-
nications of the alliance and by the
reduction in tonnage; the dissatisfac-
ton of the German nation with the
result of their criminal effort is due
In very great measure to the convey
system, but It is due also to the al
lied Efforts TO trap and hunt the sub
marine on passage and to ,,arass it on
station, and those two functions in sub
marine warfare must not be confused.
Efficient Naval Protection.
The ocean convoy Is primarily a de-
Tense organization. and secondarlly
only, an offensive organization. Its
complement In this new form of naval
warfare is the hunting fiotilla and the
mine field. These two measures must
be carefully balanced and the rela-
tive urgency Of the demands of one or
the other must receive, and does re-
ceive, the most urgent consideration
and ceaseless care and adjustment of
the great naval officers who are
charged with that responsibility. At
the present morent the United States
and Great Britain have become the
main bases Of supply for the armies
I'm Europe, and in order 10 insure
these lines of communication being
safeguarded and kept open, every eff
cient naval protection Is required. The
large proportion Of merchant ship
ping which brings these supplies must
necessarily be American and British.
and consequently the Anglo-American
zone Of naval Operations-which may