The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1918. GERMANY ON THE WATER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9998, 15 June 1918, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1918. GERMANY ON THE WATER

The impression that the High Sea Fleet is going to fight -was formed in the beginning, of tb» first German assault. It was founded on the good strategic ground that to win in Franco and Flanders it is necessary for tho enemy to cut the communications by sea of the British and American armies. The impression has been deepened by various statements made by various observers in the interval between the failure of the first phase of the German offensive campaign and whatflooks like the impending failure of the third. The most striking evidence on this point comes from Germany, in the shape of the declaration of Grand Admiral von Tirpitz that the German High Sea Fleet is now quite able to measuro its strength in battle against the British Grand Fleet, and will shortly come out and do so. This is supported by a report from Amsterdam that all leave has been cancelled in the German Navy, officers being ordered to report themselves on board their ships by ai certain early date.

As the German Fleet was proved by the battle of Jutland to be quite unable to fight on equal terms with Jellicoe's ships; as that proof Has been strengthened by the careful neglect of the German Fleet to come out; and as thefalling-off of the submarine piratic results, together with tho brilliant British attacks on the submarine bases, and with the uninterrupted continuation of the transport on which tho British and American armies depend, has failed to bring out the High Sea Fleet, one naIturally wonders wfliat has induced Grand Admiral von Tirpitz to make his*']valorous forward declaration. Has the German fleet been reinforced by new construction, or by recont conquests, or by both"? Tho first question seems to he answered by the belief of the Entente naval authorities, who 'have good information on thoso matters, thafc tho German building effort has been chiefly devoted to keeping Tip the output of submarines. What of tho second? The only possible source of addition from outside to the Gorman naval strength is the Russian Baltic Fleet. The* attempt, after the capture of the islands in the Gulf of Riga by the enemy, to get hold of the Baltic Fleet was frustrated. The ships kept out of Helsingfors, whore they would have fallen an easy prey, their crews being infected with Bolshevik rottenness. We presume that they refuged in Kronstadt, and as no report has been made of sinkings, or even damage, at the order of the Russian authorities, we may further presume that tho hope that enough patriotism remained in Russia to prefer the destruction of tho fleet to its transference to the enemy, has not been realised. Tho imminent question, therefore, is whether tho Russian Baltic Fleet is in Kronstadt or whether it has boon quietly taken over by Germany in tho ordinary couxae of exploitation. In the treaty

of Brest-Lito'vsk it was stipulated that the ships were to be disarmed. But Grand Admiral von Tirpitz has said that the High Sea Fleet has heen sufficiently reinforced to enable it to measure its Strength, with the Grand Fleet of Great Britain. It is impossible ait this stage of the war, in which so much stands revealed, to suppose that any treaty has stood between tho German desire and tho German enjoyment. It becomes necessary to see what tho strength of the Russian Baltia Fleet is capable of adding to tho German High Sea Fleet, of the newest classes, nothing else being of any avail. Mr Pollen, the well-known naval authority, has said in a recent issue of "Land and Water" that at the opening of tho war four Dreadnoughts of the- newest design had been finished, or nearly so; that four of the best class of battle-cruiser were nearly ready; that between thirty and forty first-class destroyers were in commission, besides mine-layers, submarines (a few), and other small craft. Tho Dreadnoughts (if added to tho German Fleet) represent an addition of 20 per cent, to tho numbers of tho German battleships, and "considerably more than 25 per cent." to their gun power. The addition of the four battle-cruisers replace tho losses at Jutland and elsewhere; whilo the dostroyers make a really formidable addition to the small craft eo necessary in modem war to enable a. great fleet to fight; and there are, besides, some half-dozen light cruisers, very handy and useful. In tho absenco of information about what has really happened, we must make assumptions. That the Germans have obtained this formidable increment of force, which, as Mr Pollen says, has entirely revolutionised the naval situation, is an assumption by no means unlikely, especially as there is nothing else to support the von Tirpitz declaration. Assuming, then, that the High Sea Fleet has been thus formidably reinforced, what is the outlook? Necessarily the Grand Fleot must be reinforced,.' too.' It cannot well be reinforced by French and Italian squadrons, because the differences of language are likely to prevent that implicit, immediate obedience to Admiral orders which a great fleet action demands. But there is tho American Fleet, which offers no such disability. When Mr pollen wrote in February he showed that the addition of the American Fleet would far more than counter-balance the Russian addition m numbers, in gun power, in efficiency of personnel, and material. bince then if we are not mistaken, the American Fleet has actually joined and bas been exercising and doing general duty under Admiral Beattv. At ill events, if this is not the" case tho American Fleet is easily available and if it is required, can be put into lino without a moments delay. But will it is that the British Navy has been enormously strengthened since the war began, and so improved in respect of i P .° Wer ' Size ' and fcandinesß, and the right measure of ships, that it is more than ever able to hold its own an d more Of all of which tho conclusion » that if tho High Sea meet does come out, it will have as much of it as survives to eet into safety with all possible dispatch