GERMANY'S NAVY AND NAVAL POWER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13031, 23 November 1905, Page 4

GERMANY'S NAVY AND NAVAL POWER.

Two writers discuss this subject in the Monthly Review. One, Mr. Cope Cornford, sees no reason to doubt Germany's assurance that her naval policy is purely defensive. The other, V.,' v says it is perfectly clear that the new German fleet is meant to beoffensive.Mr. Cope ; Cornford's article is chiefly technical, describing the results of his inspection of the fleet at Wilhelmshaven last month. , He was much impressed by the cleanliness," discipline, and soldierlike, rather than; Bailorlike, appearance of the men; "to all appearance as fine and smart a body of men as any service in the world can boast," and not, as far as he could see, overdrilled into depression. ■In the service are employed nearly 50,000 officers and men, and in the mercantile marine nearly 60,000 men, who have served' their time in the navy, which he contrasts with the 49,000 aliens in the British mercantile marine. Throughout the article Mr. Cope Corn ford's terms are "those*, of. generous praise. "-V." quotes, with approval, M. Lockroy's statement that Germany's claim to rule the waves must eventually bring on a war with Great Britain, which "will be one of tne most terrible conflicts of the twentieth century.". It is because of her paramount desire to obtain command of the sea that Germany has neglected her; cruiser fleet, and -directed her attention mainly tu a huge and homogeneous fleet of battleships. She is much stronger for naval attack than is generally assumed ; she can mobilise much faster than any other .European State.';' and "V." evidently, thinks quite as highly of her navy as Mr. Cope Cornford does. .- According :to- M. Lockioy, an acknowledged authority,-she has " the most perfect naval 'organisation in the world," He compares Germany's naval strength with that of Prance, . much to . the . disadvantage ;. of France. . It is . only .on paper that the French fleet is in any, way the: stronger, and for this statement he gives plenty of proof. He, does. not even think France's superiox-ity in cruisers _will make up for, her inferiority in > battleships. ; The German navy, however, <he • recognises, ■■ cannot be compared with our own fleet, a fact of which the German Admiralty ai» well aware, although many prominent' German - officers think a landing in Great Britain far from as difficult as we often assume. ' In fact, the gist" of the whole article is that, in actual fact, ; Germany's navy is no longer the third or fourth in Europe, -but. the second, and that she is -doing her utmost to make her fleet such that she need not fear a war even with England. - ; : , ,