LAND AND WATER 
February 6, 1915. 
U21 insisted on some of its Tictiins being sent there. Blufi 
ia as frequent in the great game of War tus it is in the game 
of "Poker." 
In any case, it seems abundantly evident that either 
on our own coasts or adjacent thereunto in our own waters, 
the German submarines must have some bases of supply.. 
The surest defence rgainst them is not to seek for needles 
in hay, but institute a systematic search for every possible 
base. Deprived of these, the German submarine corsairs will 
sooi^ become helpless. 
THE BALTIC. 
The Russian Navy has not been long in demonstrating 
that winter is no bar to its activities. On January 25 the 
small cruiser Gazelle was submai-ined ofi Ilugen, where she 
waa patrolling. 
Though only a small vessel, the torpedo failed to sink 
her, and she was towed into Sassonitz by a fen-y steamer. 
The Gazelle was an old vessel of small size and little 
fighting value. However, she was well fitted up for the work 
she was engaged on, so her disablement is useful to the 
Allies. 
The submarine probably came from the Aland Islands, 
which are quite 500 miles from Rugen. This fact, coupled 
with the weather conditions, will probably have a consider- 
able moral effect on the Germans, who in the past have had 
a tendency to regard the Russian submarine eei'vice as ineffi- 
cient. 
It is officially announced that on the 25th a Zeppelin 
dropped nine bombs on Libau, and was then brought down 
by gunfire. 
THE ADRIATIC. 
Certain corrospondentB want to know why the French 
Fleet is so inactive in the Adriatic. It is suggested that if 
the Austrian battle fleet will not come oul, then the French 
Fleet should bombard Catlaro. 
Now early in the war there was a bombardment of 
Cattaro, but it produced little effect, and so was discon- 
tinued. Had Cattaro fallen, all the other bases could have 
been captured, but there would have been a twofold danger 
in the attempt: La the first place from submarines, and 
in ihe second place, of being caught with depleted maga- 
zines, just as Persano was caught by Tegethoff at Lissa. 
That little studied naval campaign of fifty years ago probably 
influences profoundly the present situation. 
To attempt a serious bombardment of a strong position, 
with a " fleet in being " no great distance away — a fleet 
which, though inferior, is not more inferior than was that of 
Tegethoff to Persano's at Lissa — is to court a French replica 
of the Italian disaster in the past. 
The policy of the French Navy is dull and unexciting, but 
the object of war is not to provide headlines and interesting 
reading for the general public. (It is astonishing how many 
people there are who fail to realise this. It is due probably 
to picture palaces and " football.") The French axe doing 
the riffht thing with their battle fleet, just as our Admiralty 
ia doing the right thing with the British battle fleet. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
A. C. (Hamilton, N.B.). — (1) In reply to your ques- 
tion, the sea-keeping abilities of British and German sub- 
marines of equal date are more or less the same, but with 
a theoretical balance in our favour, because our boats are 
generally larger. On the other hand, as the Germans un- 
doubtedly employ mother ships under a neutral flag, and aa 
we consider it beneath our dignity to play a similar trick. 
their actual sea-keeping qualities are probably twice thai 
of ours. 
(2) As boats ceteris paribus our submarines are certainly 
superior to the German class. 
(3) The Germans have undoubtedly displayed very great 
daring with their submarines, but if you investigate you 
will find that this daring is mainly confined to four or five 
toafa which have done all the work to date. 
(4) As regards the relative merits of big ships, the 
modern British warship is superior to the Gennan in the 
matter of offence. In the matter of defence, that is to say, 
avoiding being hurt, the advantage rests with the German 
ships. Our theory is to hit the enemy so hard that he 
cannot do any hitting back. The German theory is to be 
able to take Jilmost unlimited punishment and trust to luck 
that the relatively feeble reply hits will eventually achieve 
victory. 
(5) 1 do not think that the fact of the men appearing 
on shore with the name of their ship on their caps is likely 
to give anything away to the enemy. For example, it might 
be a blind; it might be that they had just been relieved by 
another crew and had not time to change their cap ribbons,' 
or they might have been suddenly drafted to another ship. 
(6) I think that we would be well advised to be caj-eful 
about accepting stories of German treachery. In the Franco- 
German War of 1871 nous sommes trains was the undoing 
of the French troops in many a battle. 
A. F. K. (near Bath).— We, all of us, find the Censor- 
ship troublesome. Occasionally the Censor's operations have 
turned a reasoned ai-gument into seeming drivel. On the 
other hand, it has to be remembered that the Censor works 
on inside knowledge, and is seldom, if ever, in a position to 
explain his reasou for suppressing certain information. Aa 
you are an Oxford man, may I refer you to the history 
of the Peloponnesian War, and request you to ask yourself 
whether the Athenians would not have fared better if the 
democracy had been kept less informed about tlie course of 
naval operations. It is possible, of course, to cite one case 
in which the pressure of non-technical public opinion did 
lead to an advantage, but against this I think there are many 
in which the reverse obtained. 
A. E. J. (Redhill).— Comment on the matter to which 
you refer is not permitted by the Press Censorship. 
F. E. B. (Broadstone). — There are plenty of small crafti 
patrolling looking for submarines, but a submarine is a diffi- 
cult fish to catch. 
E. (Uckfield).— (1) It is the fortunes of war that the 
small craft wliich have to do the spade work rarely get into 
the limelight. Occasionally, as in the case of the Arcihusa, 
they do, but, generally speaking, it is necessarily the big 
ship which is equivalent to the star actor. 
(2) As regards the official reports of the Falkland Islands, 
there is probably some good reason for this being withjield. 
(3) The third matter to which you refer is better not dis- 
cussed in print further than I have already dene. 
A. P. 0. W. (Highgate). — Your idea is quite sound, bui 
60 far as I know, it is already in application. You will under- 
stand that to discuss it is not to the public interest. It 
is extremely important in this war to kill the enemy without 
letting the enemy know how and why he has been killed. 
H. S. J. (Saundersfoot). — I commented on the matter to 
which you refer several weeks ago, but it was deleted by the 
Censor. If it is now allowed to be published, you will see 
my views on the matter as then written. If you do not see 
them, yon will understand that the fiat of the Censor is still 
against publication. 
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