The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-11-06
BRITISH NAVAL CHIEF LAUDS WORK
Of AMERICAN SAILORS and SHIPS
keenness, Technical Skill and Organization of the Personnel, Truly
RemarkabIe-Ships and Equipment All Of Highest Efficiency
and Latest Design-Cose Cooperation Between
Allies Minimizes Menace of U-Boat.
~ cir ERIC cEpDEs.

BY SIR ERIC GEDDES.
First Lord OF the British Admiralty
In speaking Of the United States
naval forces, I do SO with the great
advantage Of having seer most of them
personally In the course of the last IL
months, and I can assure the public
that the morale and efficiency are alb
solutely on the top line. Not only
IL the keenness, technical skill and
organization Of the personnel truly re-
mhrkable, 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 / think I 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, or
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.
I would like first of all to show you
that your b~attleships are working with
our own grand fleet with the most
perfect coordination and efficiency,
ma I 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 Halks Germany.
A 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. II
II to them, as well as to the gallant
little ~destroyers, working with the cor
responding forces of all the allies, that
the success of the convoy system Is
due. 1t IL the convoy system which
baked Germany when she adopted
avowedly the inhuman and ruthless
method Of submarine warfare, consid'
cred inconceivable and contrary to al
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 ft to take her place as an
honorable member of the League o.
Nations, In whatever form that oft
discussed organization may finally
shnpe itself.
Germany reckoned to end the wa
last year by cutting the sea commu
nlcations Of the alliance and by tn,
red1etion IN tonnage; the dissatisfac
ton ~ the German nation with TIL
renn1t q their criminal effort Is du'
In Iery great asu to the convo,
syatom, but Il Is due also to the al
liel eGorts to trap and hunt the sub
maEine On passage and to harass 1t OF
sta1ion. and those two functions In sub
marine warfare must not be confused
GHBcIent Naval Protection.
The Q convoy Is primarily a de
fonpo organisation, and s~econdarily
Only, N offensive organization. 1t
eomplement In this new form Of nava
parfare 10 the hunting flotilla and tn
nine 0eld. These two measures mus
~ carefully balanced and the rela
f1ve urgency Of the demands Of q o
ne other must receive, and does re
eelve, the most urgent consideration
and ceaseless q T and adjustment o
the great naval officers who ar
charged with that responsibility. A
~ present moment the United State
and Great Britain have become tn
naein bases Of supply for the armie
r Europe. and in order to insur
these lines OF communication beln
eafeguarded and kept open. every eff
Client naval protection Is required. TIL
largo proportion Of merchant shiI
ping which brings these supplies mus
na~ceusarfly be American and British
end consequently the Anglo-America
zone Of naval operations-which ma
" considered to include the Atlanti
North sea, and British coastal wateI
~is the are with which we are mo,
vitally concerned at the present mi
ment. though Of course the America
ana British forces are helping to p
1ieo the trade routes Of the Mediterr1
mean also. In conjunction with o,
French, Italian. Japanese and Gree
al1leg, whose work and cooperate
ere altogether admirable.
Work Of Destroyers.
Turning now to your ~destroyers,
know that you all appreciate what d
mnndS the present conditions of 81
warfare impose upon this type Of Graf
nay and night, winter and summf
tley scour the seas, either hunting 4
submarine or keeping a careful wat'
ovee the valuable human lives, equi
mept and transports intrusted to the
eoEo % escort. I have both travel'
II and been escorted by American d
e1poyer1, and I know their high stan
I'D. They axe an essential part Of t
rh11ne strength Of the feet, and, |
Go1hog With the cruisers, they are 4
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