Nelson Evening Mail. UNKNOWN AMERICA AS A FIGHTING FORCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 June 1915, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. UNKNOWN AMERICA AS A FIGHTING FORCE.

ACCORDING, to reports from Amsterdam, the American Note has caused much concern in Germany, and there appears to be a, decided division of opinion i concerning the Kaiser's policy of murder on the high seas, to which the President of the United States has entered an emphatic objection. If the reports be true, there is a feeling that Germany cannot afford to place America among the ranks of her numerous enemies. But only the othpr day we were told that responsible Germans declare that it is more desirable that America should come out openly on the side of the Allies." "The average German," the report ran, "regards the American as a money-grabbing coward, and does not.hide his contempt, because, 1 under the cloak of neutrality, she is supplying one of the' belligerents with the sinews -of war/ and acquiescing in starving- the other." It is curious to see Germany blame America because she has come off second best in the game she herself started. But yesterday's cables seem to. indicate a more reasonable atti- \ tude, and a decided aversioii towards a : breach of relations betweenr-Germany and ; America:. It is necessary to obtain an adequate idea of what America's rej sources really are. The prevalent opinion seems to be that she possesses no fighting 1 effectiveness at .all; but this is quite in- | correct, although it is t'rue that she is ill-prepared to place large numbers in the field ,at short. notice.. . .The militia law of January 21, 1903, as amended by "the Act of (May 27, 1903, provides : "That the militia shall of every able-bodied citizen of the. respective States. . . . and every able-bodied male of foreign birth who has declared his intention to' becomei a citizen, "who is mote than 18 and less than 45 years of age, and shall be divided' into two classes—the organisect militia, €o beknown as the National Guard. . . • or by such other designation as may be given them- by laws of the respective States or territories;' therreminder to be knowni as the reserve niilitia."

As a result of this law, says' the Telegraph," ah organised army has been created which to-day consists ;6i 2148 : generals and general staff officers, 7247 regimental and commissioned officers, 113,279 enlisted men (known as the National Guard), arid 16,004,683 menin the reserve militia. These forces are of a Territorial character, and have their hea4quarters in no fewer than 50 large towns in- the Union, and can be summoned to the colours in very short time. Roughly, speaking, the appropriations for the army for the year 1915 amount to £20,000,000 sterling, which does not include the cost of the National Guards, for which each State pays directly; nor does it include the vast sum for pensions, or the cost of fortifications, oi military academy, and suchlike establishments. Neither does it include the sum spent in the various American colonies, such as Porto Rico, and the Philippines, which are provided for under the colonial estimates. But it. is stated that the United States artillery is not all that it should be in so far that it is hopelessly inadequate for the large number of infantry that could be called to the colours. Of rifle ammunition the supplies a're practically inexhaustible; but of shot and shell are insufficient for any lengthy expedition. Like Great Britain, the people of the Ijnited States have always set their faces- against the creation of any vast standing army, but it has always been part arid parcel of their system that an organisation shall exist which should enable every able-bodied man to be called upon for the defence of his own terri-

tory. For service out of tile States it is probable, says the authority quoted, that" enlistment would be entirely of a volun-' tary character, and if, 'therefore, the United States decided to throw in her lot with the belligerent Powers, any army she might send into the field would be much' of the same class and character. In another column will be seen a full list of the United States navy. It ranks third in the great navies of the world'.' Indeed, since the German losses of this war, it would take a vei'y close scrutiny,, says the "Telegra,pli," to decide if she is not actually to-day second only to Great Britain. The following details which are ( given will be 'read with interest: —Her navy is very largely of a modern character, and her ships have been designed and'built much on the same lines as, those of" Great Britain. There are a few j minor differences in detail which, per- j haps, alter the external aspect of the vessels, but the system of armour and the type of armament are essentially the same. One of the most noteworthy departures in the exterior appearance of the is due to a preference to a., built-up mast instead of, as in most other navies, the use of a tripod of hoUow steel. Otherwise an American war vessel is very much the same as a British man-of-war. The trained ratings are principally men tyhp, re-engage, for- ser- ( ; vice after serving their first term of voluntary service. The lower-deck en-, ter for a-three-years' service, after'which' they are free, to leave the sei-vice or reenlist for another period. It is a question whether efficient- seamen gunners can be trained in the first period of service, but, after all, the United States "de- ; pends more upon her re-engaged men to fill important gun numbers than she does on her recruits, and probably she is well served. There are many good reasons why it is best for the Allies that America should maintain neutrality, for command of the sea enables a. free supply of the munitions of war to be obtained; but at the same time it is well to know that America is not .totally unprepared for war.

Notwithstanding the wat, ships. n?ust still, be designed, lbuilt, and commissioned. to take the place of those now afloat. The question which the British' Admiralty lias to face, says one authority, .is. therefore to What extent has the w&f found defects, in our existing type of. ship', and how can they be_.altered so as to iriake thejii -more effective fighting machines. The proElenTcf armour protection is in some,. circles felt to have beeii utterly changed- by the new conditions .of warfare, the system ~ of belt adopted, many years ago no longer meeting requirements, and no. longer being worth the cost, it entails both financially and as an. incubus to the ship, owing to. the extreme rauge a,t which actions have been so far fought the oblique- blow has been irost frequently registered: Against this the latest type of super£)readnought has so' far approached more nearly to perfection than any other ships which have been -under fire, but it is believed' that in the future armor will, have to be raised higher on the sidfcs and made thicker on the decks, whilst, it must also be brought deeper~into -the water, and attached to longitudinal bulk- 1 heads', if the large torpedoes and mines of the future.aro to - be guaxdedjiagaSnst at all. All this demand for extra protection has caused another school, ~ of thought to seriously raise the question as to the value of armor at all!

Many observers point to the success pf our light cruisers, which, with great speed and hitting power, have so far done extremely >vell in battle, and, in addition', Have been the principal menace to the submarine. So radical a condemnation of armor is, however, not endorsed by the majority .of naval men who in the light of our Heligoland experience depict, the battleship of the future as a fast battle-cruiser a-nred with guns' of monster calibre, In which only the machinery, the guns, and the bows will be heavily armored. The latter position is more eispecially insisted upon. The ship, the forward part of which is of such robust construction, would,, 'it believed, successfully live through battle, mines, ,an<ji submarine attack, besides having a. good chance to preserve her speed. Meanwhile ships are beingbuilt by the British Admiralty, and-will*-bo finished in time to take their place in the battle line of the future with anything the.enemy can .produce. -

There can' be'rio doubt that the expedition against Turkey created a , a- Targe amount of alarm in the German, capital,. where most extraordinary have been put forth by the General Staff to. combat the expedition, and -experienced' and. highly-trained' officers, badly needed elsewhere, liave had' to be. withdrawn and. sent to Constantinople. The concentration of the German fleet rot Guxhaven, ready for sea, was -therefore. -a, strategic move directed towards discouraging . Great Britain from sending any -more troops or ships to the Dardanelles, 1 and this was; • followed-. B-y .reviyal of rumors of 9- projected.invasion of Eng., land-:—a project that had been all-owed'.to slumber ' "since the previous October. Germany's trouble is that she fully recognises that Turkey is a most uncertain, factoy. The situation is believed in-Bej--, lin' to be controlled by Enver Pasha, who, is regarded as entirely unreliable in ' a crisis, even if he is not ''removed'' before that period arrives.