BRITISH SUBMARINES IN THE BALTIC.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 50, 27 February 1915, Page 6

BRITISH SUBMARINES IN THE BALTIC.

HOW THEY GOT THROUGH. "' The "Berliner Tageblatt" asserts that large British submarines are in the Baltic, and that three of them have been at Helaingfore, in the Gulf of Finland, far some time. The Great Belt Jβ, it aeetrte, mined, and it therefore believes that the British vessels must 'have eeeiired a. cafe paasage by following vessels in charge of Danish pilots. The "Tageblatt" does not mention if the Germans have themselves laid mines \n the-southern entrance of the Great Belt, and presumably they have not, as such a proceeding would be an infringement of Banish neutrality. There La, 'however, no Tcaeon to doubt the fact that British submarines have passed into the Baltic, and the following description of the entrances to the sea will give tlve reader a clear conception of the various routes available: — Tlie main approaches to the Baltic Sea may be clearly traced, and much of the misconception as to tire forces which gcvern the entrance to Germany's northern coast will be cleared up. It is the , mie-fortune of a emaller State that ehe should hold a gateway to Europe, and upon Denmark bae rested a responsibility little inferior to that, which Belgium has no nobly answered. Sweden ie also interested In the maintenance of neutrality on the Sound, and has also tr.kcn her part seriously. A fleet of war veesels patssing from the North Sea to the Baltic must take one of three waterways. Two of these channels are exclusively in Denmark territory, and thp third ie situated between Denmark and Sweden. In olden times the importance of Denmark a> holding the keys of the Baltic was pronounced, and it unfortunately brought with it more than one bombardment of Copenhagen. Now, so far Germany Is concerned, the position is to some extent altered by the construction of t]ic Kaiser Wilhelm Canal. The latter Power can mass her ships in either sea. subject to certain limitations, when she likes, and the neutrality of Danish waters i« more or less in her favour. At the same time the importanie of the Danes in the present war must not be underestimated by the Allies. It is quite possible that In tlrc , near future extensive operations may begin against German occupation of Sphleswig-Hofetein, and it may be necessary for British ships of war and transports to pass the Little Belt for the purpose of landing troops north of Ki-el Bay. The only route available would be cither through the Great Bolt, the Little Belt, or through the Sound. Such an expedition must of necessity move up the Skager-Rak. into tire Kattegat, and thence go south by one of the three waterways named. The narrow channel of the Little Belt is commanded by the Danish fortress of Fredexicia. and controlled at its southern end by the German fortifications on Alsen leland. TUVs channel belongs to the neutral waters of Denmark, and consequently cannot be traversed by the allied fleet, without either a violation of DanitSh neutrality, or by Denmark joining the Allies in their war on Germany and Austria. The broader pae-sagc, that of the Great Belt, between the Islands of Funcn and Zealand, also territorially belongs to Denmark. It is unfortified, but mined. The great highway of the Sound is, however, a free-way to the ships of all nations. This channel debouclres at its northern end between the Swedish port of Helsingborg and the Danish port of Elsinore. The latter place derives a certain amount of publicity from the fact that it poesivM* a substantial fortification known as Kronborg, and it ateo is alleged to be associated in doubtful history with Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The waterway then got* pnet the capital, Copenhagen, which ie as fax as fortifications can be in th«ee days etrongly buttressed. The fort of Trekroner as regarded as the main feature in the group of positions defended by the Danes, and ie up to date. By a somewhat singular rule of international understanding the Sound is a free-way for all warships of the world, and thus Sir John Jellieoe has an entrance to tbc Baltic at his disposal when h-<> requires it. Indeed, it may be said at once that British submarine*; frequent th- passage, and have visited and reported upon t!w> German ships present in lire!, without having been in any way molested. The freedom of this channel is due to the fact that both Denmark and Sweden have inherent rights to the waterway, but as neither caa hold the whole of the psuwafre the Powers deci#?d it- must belong to neither. At the same tune, both States are protecting their cwn coastline, and the Sound » to that extent rained. It is certainly patrolled ■by Denmark. No dor/bt German veseels have also paid visits to the Kattegat, bent on reconnaissance, but so far no large cruiser or battleship has appeared north oi Kiel.