"CRISIS OF NAVAL WAR."

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 180, 31 July 1920, Page 5

"CRISIS OF NAVAL WAR."

LORD JELLICOE'S BOOK

,\ STRAIGHTFOIUVARD NARRATIVE

[Press Association."] (United Service.) (Received July 3li 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, July 29

The evening papers feature Lord Jellicoe's book "The Crisis of the Naval War," .and unanimously praise straightforward narrative of facts, which is given .-without bias. It shows that Germany opened with twenty-eight submarines and they A'tie enormously improved 'monthly imtil by Februiry, 1917, they mim■bered 130 in home and twenty in Mediterranean stations The turning point came in April, 1917, when Britain prevailed slowly, gradually ■winning through. In September. J9lB, Germany had 326 of all classes! During the war she lost 136, of which -thirty-five were sunk by dey>th (Charges., thirty-five were mined, ■nineteen were destroyed by British submarines, twenty, by patrol craft, twelve by decoy ships, four by warships, four by "merchantmen, ten by nets, seven by aeroplanes, and five by towed sweeps.

AnsAvering critics who demanded why the German ports were nob •flocked, Lord Jellkoo holds that, the Kattegat was available and was used. He did not share Lord Fisher's idea -of forcing the Baltic.

The book contains much technical ■matter dealing with Admiralty administration. When the war broke .out the Navy was lacking proper .-equipment, such an range-finders, fire control, and torpedoes. Britain w:*s ready for a. war, but not this war. Under Sir Eric Oeddes the Admiralty was more costly, but not more efficient. Lord Jellicoe quotes detailed examples of unfulfilled promises of deliveries. Sir Eric Geddes promised ■two millions* of tonnage in 1918, and perhaps three millions, but turned out, however, only 1.165,000 tons. The employment of mines and sul>n.a,rines mounting guns was unforeseen by the- authorities.

Lord Jellicoe says that they could •vot have foreseen that the issue of the whole war was jeopardised because the enemy used a. weapon for vbich no defence was prepared. Tie concludes with a tribute- to tl» American Navy, especially to Admiral riSims.