The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-07-25
"THEY Shall NOT PASS" WRITTEN
ON SEA BY FREN CHI FLEET IN 1914
Light Squadron Confronted Power of German Navy In Crucial
Opening Hours of War-Gaant Defense of Channel Ports
Barred by Former Minister Of the French Marine in
Answer to Critics.

urally assumed from knowledge Of the
Tuetons' plans that they would com
bine land and sea operation fol
these positions, the possession O.
which would have changed the whole
character of the war. The first SEE
fight of the war, as it would have
been, was also visualized to prevent the
German fleet from cruising southwark
commanding the Mediterranean and
cutting France off from her colonies
of northern Africa.
The French fleet reached it's battle
position in the Pas de Calais at
[! O'Clock on the afternoon of August g.
At p. m. three divisions Of British
torpedo boats left the harbor of Dover
and rapidly crossed the strait toward
the Flanders banks. One or two passed
close to the French crusier Jean dare,
and, as the French ship saluted. the
crews ranged themselves on deck and
mutually cheered what was not yet
the allied entente, but was soon to be-
British Were Ready to Aid.
AT shutdown the French torpedo
boats held themselves to the east Of
the strait to cover the squadron, which
remained ready for action throughout
the night between the banks and the
English coast. The following day,
August 4, the fleet learned that Ger
many had declared war on France.
War or no war, however, on the event
full previous day the appearance of the
great German high seas fleet would
have been the signal for "open fire"
and naval battle would have fol-
lowed. The consequences must be inn,
agined, but possibly it might have been
such battle at sea as the Belgians
were then fighting on land.
Soon after this gallant gesture by
the French navy England entered the
war and British ships took over the
guardianship of the Pas de Calais. The
French light squadron, under Admiral
Rouyer-now reinforced by the Brit
ish-then took position at the south
ern entrance of the channel opposite
Cherbourg.
Says the then minister of marine:
THE German fleet did not know how
to profit by our scattered naval forces,
which had been concentrated in. the
Mediterranean. The occasion was lost
to attempt sudden attack on our
ports on the North sea. the Channel
and the Atlantic. This opportunity
was gone for good"
On August 6 an agreement was made
between France and England, under
whose terms the British admiralty was
to direct naval operations except in
the Channel and the Mediterranean.
Knew German Plan.
The object which caused the French
naval ministry in Paris to order the |
small second French squadron into |
hypothetical and unequal battle with |
the German high seas fleet at the be- |
ginning of August was the knowledge |
of the German plan OF attack. This, /
declares the former minister, was a
land and sea operation,
which succeeded nowhere, though for
some unaccountable reason the Ger
mans failed to utilize the sea feature
Germany hoped, says Mr.. Leagues, by
the sudden occupation Of Belgium,
first, to turn the heights of the Mouse
and force Frances northern frontier;
second, to assure herself naval bases
rom which she might hold or defeat L
Great Britain. Calais, Dunkirk, Ant
verp and Ostend had the same i'm
oortance in German plans as Amiens,
3elfort, Toul and Verdun France
vas the principal enemy because she
vas the main obstruction to the estab-
ishment of German hegemony. 1t |
vas Frances resistance that Germans
loped to break first On the eastern
ront, despite the Importance of Rus
la, there was no hurry. On the west
IN front she sought the victory that
you'd make her master of the world.