TASK OF GERMAN NAVY

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15131, 27 January 1917, Page 5

TASK OF GERMAN NAVY

SUPREMACY OP BRITAIN.' APOLOGETIC ARTICLES., Three articles, entitled “The Tasks of the Germany Navy in the World War,” were supplied to the German, Press a few weeks ago by Captain Hollweg, who succeeded Captain Boy-Ed as head of the German Naval Press Bureau when the latter went to Washington as naval attache. Captain Hollweg is apparently the author of a pamphlet, mentioned in the cable messages a few days ago, in wnich he excused the inactivity of the German fleet on the ground that an offensive against the British Fleet would .-e “heroic madness,” “In accordance with the risk principle it was never the purpose or task of the German Navy, either in war or in peace, to dispute—much less to win fpr herself —the naval supremacy held by England j» all parts of the world,” Captain Hollweg wrote in November. “For that we lacked many things which, apart from a war navy, constitute tae elements of sea power. The German Navy could all the less set herself such a task in the present war, and .perform it, because the English had not •• only their own ports#- bases, coaling stations, and cables, but those of all the vassal States —Prance, Portugal, Italy, Japan, etc.'' In so far as Germany’s warships were abroad at the beginning of the war, they fulfilled their cruiser duties in the beet possible way. It was obvious that their career could only be short.” In his second article. Captain Hollweg dilates on the “unfairness” of the .geographical position iof the British' Isles, and asks whether the Germans can be expected to be so “stupid” as 'to go out and “wait with exhausted supplies of fuel until the superior English Fleet does them the honour, first of weakening them by the resources of small warfare, then of shooting them down without risk at long ringe by superior power of numbers and guns. “To a«m up, the German' Flyet has not claimed to set aside English world supremacy in the war. It never said that it could easily destroy the English . leet, which is twice as strong as itself. It wanted to fee, and is, a permanent and severe sisk for the enemy. The English Fleet deliberately avoids the decisive battle."