CAPTAIN MAHAN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144486, 22 September 1914, Page 8

CAPTAIN MAHAN.

FAMOUS EXPERT'S JUDGMENT'. iJX FAVOUR OF BRITAIN. Dunn?: the past few weeks the name of Rcar-Atiiniral Mahan. United States Navy, retired, must have become familiar to New Zealanders who have read the newspapers closely. This distinguished American is a naval authority whose opinions aro thoroughly respected among the world’s fleets. In an interview with a representative of the Now York Evening Post on August 3, (tho day before the war broke out between Britain and Germany). Admiral Mahan declared that England must at once throw her preponderating licet- against Germany for tho one chief purpose of maintaining her own position as a world Power. For England, he said, it was a.tpiestion, it she remained out of the. war, of sacrificing her Empire in the next generation to I he interest of this generation. A DUTY TO POSTERITY-. ‘‘Great Britain ns the third member of the Entente.” lie said, ‘‘finds herseil in the position of Prussia in IftHo, when she permitted Napoleon to strike down Austria unaided and was herself struck down the following year at Jena. Or of that of Franco in 1868, when slio stood by while Prussia crushed Austria. and was herself overwhelmed in IS7O. •‘Germany's procedure is to overwhelm at once by concentrated preparation and impetuous momentum. If she fail in this she is less able to sustain prolonged aggression, as was indicated in the Franro-l’nissian War during and after the siege of Paris.” Mahan holds the unusual view that Italy must join the war within a week's time, not as a partner of the Triple Alliance, hut as an ally of Franco and Russia. Italy must take this step, ho says, and hold the Austrians in check for the salvation of tho Balkans which aro already threatened hy Tnrke.v and are sure to he the prey of the Turks unless the Austrian Navy can be kept from tho shores of Greece. • ‘CALCULATED AGGRESSIVENESS.” Admiral Mahan regards the present war as one of calculated aggressiveness by Germany, and an inexcusable act. lie ventured the opinion that the absence of tile German Emperor from Beilin at the time of the Austrian ultimatum to Scrvia was an art cleverly designed to deceive. The admiral also gave several important opinions upon tho probable .strategy of tho naval powers. BRITAIN’S TACTICS. ‘‘The British fleet, which is superior to that of Germany,” lie remarked, ‘‘has the power ro 'prevent all commerce tinder the Gorman flag, and, by blockade, to close against neutrals all the rivers properly Gorman exrept those emptying into tho Baltic. The British fleet is not strong enough to divide lor blockade in both Baltic and North Seas. The Rhine, emptying through neutral Holland, cannot be blockaded. “If the first German rush proves indecisive ov prolonged, the financial pressure thus in tire power ot Great Britain may determine the issue or may force the German fleet to light, in which ease the issues will bo determined by battle. “If German succeeds in downing both France and Russia, she gains a respite hy land, which may enable her to build up her sea iorce 0911a I. or superior. to that of Great Britain. “In that case the world will be confronted by tho naval power of a State, not. like Groat Britain, sated with territory. but one eager and ambitious for expansion, eager also lor influence. This consideration may well affect American sympathies. “In my judgment, a right appreciation of the' situation should determine Groat Britain to declare war at once. Otherwise, her Entente engagements, I I whatever tho letter, will be in spirit violated, and she will earn the entire distrust ot all probable future allies. IN THE NORTH SEA. ••Undoubtedly, the North Sen will bo the theatre of the naval battles,” ho said. ‘'The German licet, so far as wc know, steamed immediately from Kiel to the North Sea, ready to strike. For a long time it, has been the German policy kco» lu*J‘ ijjiv.v ready, and \ irmally cleared lor action, ami we mill expect anv minute, apparently, to get word of a great engagement, and should expect the British fleet to inn. ■■The Kiel Canal will undoubtedly be used in Germanv’s naval strategy, as affording access 'to the North and the Baltic Seas, but not as the deciding movement. England cannot, as 1 June said, throw a preponderating licet into both seas, and Germany’s hope is to strike immediately. U is a question ol existence for her. Tim stagnation ot her c-anving trade on the seas must threaten her verv life, ami the neutral shippimr already taxed to its limits, e.innoUioar the additional burdens ol supplying Germany. '“The suggestion made that Germany might demonstrate with her fleet in tho Baltic is not tenable. Tho Russian fleet, with only eight. pre-Dieaclnonghts and no Dreadnoughts and battle-cruisers—-however much of an absurdity that tvpo ii'nv bo—is noc,ligddo. could achieve nothing with her fleet in the Baltic, for it is a priciple ot warfare that under modern conditions no nation ran afford to waste its navy in operations against lortiflcations. As for the question of the science of naval warfare to be answered in ibis final tost of all theories of war, RearAdmiral Mahan said that the most important, undoubtedly, would he those of the increased efficiency of submarines and torpedoes, and ol air craft. ABOUT SUBMARINES. “And believe me,” be said, “the English fleet, which .sailed with sealed orders, is at present in tho North Sea, with tho purpose of being just out of the effective range of submarines. I do not know, definitely, what the effective cruising range of such submersible craft is. hut 1 should estimate it to ho 200 miles. To accomplish that distance they must travel for a longway upon the .surface, and so bo in sight of tho scouts which the British fleet, of course, has posted. “This question of tho use of the increased efficiency of the submarine is assuredly one of the most important to be tested in actual warfare. They had, of course, no opportunity in the Russo-Japanese war, but in tho present confined theatre of operations

should be seen at their host. 1 do not share Sir Percy Scott’s views ot the surpassing power of the submarine to tho complete cffaccmcnt ot the battleship. . “The torpedoers. ns used in_ the Russo-Japanese war, were utilised chiefly to pul a. finish to a ship almost silenced already hy gun fire, and tor such purposes were effective. But torpedo boats are night emit. They cannot ho effective in daylight against modern guns. Germany, apparently, does not place much taith in them. “But most of these problems of the technical science of wartnro are too abstruse for the general observer. They are really even too technical lor the exports to agree on. A.s General Sherman said: ‘One may demonstrate something in manoeuvres, but you really need the element of human fear to bo conclusive.’ “The mooted question of the lug gun will also be tested. For my part, 1 have always believed that the volume of lire was the determining fact. The number of hits, and not single shots, is tie most important clement. I believe. However, nil those tilings we shall soon know, perhaps any minute.”

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