GERMAN NAVY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16666, 26 September 1914, Page 5

GERMAN NAVY.

ITS FUNCTION IN WAR. AN ADMIRAL’S ADDRESS. In April of this year Admiral Brew - sing delivered an address in Basel on “Our Fleet: its future and its political rolo.” The -address was given ui> der the auspices of the German Navy League, and the following report of i-: was furnished to “Le Matin ” by its correspondent at Basel i Let usi not slander tho boundless hospitality of the Swiss to both man and ideas. In the town where Bartholdi’s monument recalls the generous aid given by Basel to besieged Strasburg, wo cannot object even to the* holding of a meeting to expound PanGennauism. But one would think that though the Swiss law allows it, tact would forbid such propaganda In a neutral country. It is true that in, German eyes "Basel is a- country . already conquered. They have refrained from fortifying Huningen, in Alsace, two miles from Basel. On tho other hand, at the very gate of the old free city, they have reared the fort of Iskin, which commands the railway lines qt Baden station. Tills station, which is German property, is in Swiss territory. One cannot see its wide front and its network of lines without realising that i tliero is one of tho most important points for German mobilisation. By it will come in case of war German . troops from the south for use on tho- ( French frontier. Moreover, there are j 56,000 Germans in the canton of Basel, j bo Admiral Browsing was. so to speak, j at home, as he rose to address tho several hundreds who wero drawn by his advertisement.

In accents sharp and commanding. ■< in manner dogmatic, the admiral began with a history of the German fleet, lrom 1895 to our days. He recounted the immense efforts, thanks to which Germany, practically without a fleet in 1895, will have in 1915 .u fighting strength of 889,000 tons on the water. From the admiral’s comments one gathered that Britain had forced the, sacrifice on the Fatherland. j “We saw,” lie. declared, “ America j crush Spain, Britain humiliate France, 1 and massacre the Boers. Everywhere 1 tho weak were crushed. So the Gev- j man people awoke, and at length uu- i dorstood that if they wero not- to sink to the position of vassals of the AngloSaxon, they must become a maritime ' Power.” Tho events abovenientioned inspired them with the resolve to redouble their efforts begun at their Em- . peror’s suggestion in 1895. After do- j scribing iu detail progress in building 1 and arming ships, and in coastal de- J fence, the Admiral painted an arrest- , iug picture of tho next war. He do- j scribed the ticklish position of the Brit- j ish fleet, forced far from its base of j operations, in its attempt to blockade the German coast. ■ “We shall await them,” he cried, “close to our own shores, in a situation most favourable to ourselves. Our torpedo boots and submarines, for a long period trained for night attacks, cannot fail to work enormous destruction to the British fleet, which must repair to its base for stores and munitions of war, while we shall have ours at hand. So at length will come a timo when a certain number of our enemy’s vessels being destroyed, and others widely scattered for the purpose of defending commercial interests, the fleets will bo practically equal. Then I. can safely assert the tide will flow in our direction. Our vessels have six torpedo tubes against four of tho English vessels. Our guns are in perfect condition after 200 shots; his lose accuracy of fire after sixty. Besides, as tho rival navies are opposed, the fleet which is most capable of long range attack' will have tho advantage. Now our gunners, continually trained, secure wonderful results at 10.000 metres. We shall cause the enemy’s vessels enormous damage, while they are preparing for a fight at close range —the only kind for which they are trained. ‘ After tho battle again the advantage will be on our side, thanks to the proximity of our arsenals and workshops, and to the number and efficiency of our workmen, we shall he able more quickly to repair and reconstruct.” . The admiral then passed to the political aspect. He imagined a general outbreak of war, and his dream vision as it nassed over this universal field of battle discovered at each moment encouraging omens for Germany. According to him, two nations are to play an unexpected part in the conflict and these two nations are Japan and Italy. Italy’s task will be twofold —her fleet will neutralise the power of the French fleet. For this purpose it is of ample strength, even without the help ot Austria. As to her army, from Tripoli it- will march on Egypt. Along the coast are magnificent paved roads, constructed by tlie Romans. Italy will despatch 120,000 men, who will find no difficulty in wiping out the 13.000 English quartered in Egypt. The desert, the climate, the Arabs, the British fleet, were as nothing in the eyes of the warlike admiral. As to Japan, he revealed to his audience that, in spite of her seeming alliance with Britain, she was strongly averse to British policy. “ There is no doubt that m case of war the Japanese fleet would boar an expeditionary force into tho South Pacific to take possession of Australia and New Zealand.” “ Will Germany’s aims be confined to a merely successful war? No,” continued Admiral Brewsing. “ The 80,000,000 souls we shall shortly number need colonies—a vast colonial empire. We shall not repeat tlio scandalous Agadir fiasco, that shameful business wherein wo had to renounce our designs on Morocco before an English throat. We must increase, nay, double, our navy, in order to conquer and defend the oversea possessions of which we liavo need. We should consider no sacrifice too heavy for that. ‘On for God and our country!' as old Bluchor said one hundred years ago.” Such wero the words I hoard at Basel, a peaceful town in a neutral country. An excited audience greeted them with applause, all the more enthusiastic as that very evening the papers had devoted columns to the reception of the British King and Queen at Paris,