NORTH SEA MEN AND THE NAVY 359 



and essential to German security was proved ; that 

 there had been an effort to obtain a general study of 

 the German coast defences ; that delivery of the in- 

 formation had not been proved ; that there were miti- 

 gating circumstances, and that, on the other hand, there 

 had been grave peril. The officers were sentenced to 

 four years' detention in a military fortress ; and the 

 Court ordered all the papers, maps, and instruments 

 found in their possession to be confiscated. 



The trial showed how deeply concerned the German 

 authorities are with respect to their naval and military 

 defences on the only coast-line they possess the land 

 bordering on the North Sea. The locality which was 

 most particularly in question was the Island of Borkum, 

 It is an interesting locality and has exercised a fascina- 

 tion over adventurous yachtsmen ; but long before these 

 explorers ventured to the eastern shores of the North 

 Sea the network of islands which fringe the Dutch and 

 German coasts were intimately known to North Sea 

 smacksmen, who, in the sailing days when the wind was 

 too feeble or fickle for trawling, went ashore. 



A regrettable failure by the Admiralty has to be 

 recorded in connection with North Sea men. It was 

 the intention of the Admiralty to establish a reserve of 

 300 fishermen at Grimsby to man a small squadron of 

 mine-sweeping steam-trawlers for special war service. 

 A number of Grimsby trawlers were subsidised for use 

 in time of emergency, their purpose being to sweep for 

 mines. These trawlers, of which there are half a dozen, 

 were to have been accompanied during the training 

 period by two cruisers. Efforts were made to enrol the 

 fishermen for the special trawler section of the Royal 



