LAND AND WATER. June 5, 1915. 
coast, as from June 2, has been announced, ment by a firing ship introduces great diflBcultiea 
Replenishing with fuel and food should be the in keeping the range, and in some cases presents 
main problem to the German submarines, and these an insurmountable obstacle to keeping the line of 
activities will, in all likelihood, make the finding fire. All these difficulties become greater in pro- 
of a safe base more and more difficult as time goes portion as the ship's speed increases and as her 
on. One supposes that it will be impossible for course is varied. In short, any manoeuvres adopted 
them to use Constantinople without risking the by a ship to baffle the enemy subm.arine will baffle 
passage of the Turkish mine-fields, a task which her own gunners even more completely, 
the English submarines certainly have compassed; I have attempted below to explain this crucial 
but they possess better facilities for ascertaining matter without being too technical. And if I fail 
where the mines are than the German officers, even to make it as lucid as it should be, I am yet going 
with such Turkish information as they can get. to appeal to the reader to take some trouble to 
If the presence of these boats were a complete understand what I say, because in this matter we 
surprise, it would be easier to look upon their have the best possible illustration of the truth that 
success with equanimity. But the situation all schemes of naval strategy, and every end which 
which exists to-day is not unexpected, and we it is proposed to gain by the tactical use of ships, 
have reason to suppose that every possible pre- nltimately turns upon the methods that are 
caution has been taken to meet it, both by the adopted for the employment of naval weapons. If 
Admiralty and by the Commander-in-Chief on these methods are defective, tactics must be 
the spot. It is precisely the fact of this attack restricted and many strategical objects made im- 
having been anticipated that makes the loss of possible of attainment. Hence the fortunes of a 
these two ships so disturbing a matter. It seems whole campaign may turn upon certain minutice 
only too certain that we must prepare ourselves 9^ fire control, which ardent and impatient spirits 
to hear of other losses, and those not less serious, i^ time of peace have thought far too insignificant 
But there is no reason to anticipate these losses for consideration. 
occurring with extraordinary frequency ; we shall tux2 ottotdtjtv*!? /-./-»x/rx* * tvtt^ 
not lose a ship every three days. With so many ^"*^ bUl'KliAlli COMMAND. 
destroyers about with surrounding waters so Altogether, the successes of the German sub^ 
actively patrolled and with everyone so especially marines at the Dardanelles have added consider- 
on the qui vive there must have been a lot of bad ably to the dangers and difficulties of that alrealy 
luck to make this double loss possible. anxious situation. But it is not a situation which 
Can anything be suggested that has not been justifies any sort of panic or unbalanced 
done? For all practical purposes there exists but fear. The submarines have simply added to 
one form of passive defence to torpedo attacks, the difficulties of an already exceedingly difficult 
and that is the use of nets. If the Turkish undertaking. And it is fortunate that for the 
account of the loss of the Triumph is correct, the solution of these difficulties the Government has 
torpedo cut through the net. The Admiralty now the help of two of the best minds which the 
notes make no mention of nets at all. I pointed country possesses. After my notes appeared last 
out a fortnight ago that when the hot-air torpedo week, it was definitely stated— what, indeed we had 
was first introduced it was realised that at top every reason to expect at the time of writinp-— that 
speed— that is, at short range— its cutters could Mr. Balfour and Sir Henry Jackson had taken 
certainly force their way through any net then Mr. Churchill's and Lord Fisher's places at the 
m existence. But, of course, nets can be made Board of Admiralty. Mr. Balfour brings to his 
much stronger than the old nets were, and it is duties an unrivaUed knowledge of affairs and a 
quite possible that, even though Triumph ha.^ her wide experience, if not of departmental adminis- 
nets out, they were drifting surface high. Had tration, yet of the supervision of the administra- 
she been going more than four knots this must tion of the whole Empire. For the first time a 
certainly have been the case. The torpedo that man good enough to be Prime Minister is not too 
struck her, therefore may have passed under, anrl good for the Na^7. No statesman of the first rank 
not through Ber defences. has given a closer or more continuous study to the 
oUi,7f 3 -^ other means of protecting ships is problems that arise out of the defence of the 
^^)iV,}^l'Zf^,'^^^^ E^^P^'-e- I<^ ^as, indeed, he who took these 
a^t .fmin! i A T""^' ^''^^^' ^u}^ "^"^^"^ u*^ problems out of purely departmental hands and 
fh n L Sfth^ll J?r ^' r'' -^"^^ ^^'S" constituted an amphibious Ind non-party body for 
by^L^Tati4 a Mg^^^^^^^^^ ^"'""'^' metbe^S^h^T^^'^^^^W T h""' '^T ^ 
Ijl^e reader knols from previous discussions ^^^ol' ^t^.^JU^'lZtV^^^^^ 
n\ •or^^T, o oK-^ • * u- u T xi . ^ characteristic that certainly endeared his pre- 
of a inhmn^n. to^il . f\?^^^ ^^'^ T^']^^ ^^^«^°^ ^« ^'"^^^ Lord to the Naval Service. Liko 
?ff.VX SJ^^Ln ?, • -^f^^A ^T^^^^^>' for Mr. Churchill, he has a fine fighting spirit, a 
attack IS very greatly diminished, and quality of which those at the head'of a |relt fight- 
>,;f ,P 1 A '? '^ "'"''K '"°'"^ difficult to ing department can never have too much. In Mr 
hit than a sow one. And, as may be gathered from Balfour's case the fighting spirit will be axcom- 
the mstructions given to merchantmen, that panied by perhaps a^ greater patience, a g^eX 
id) A last ship on a zig-zag course is a mote willingness to leave the professionals to do what 
puzzling target than one on a straight course. all agree is wanted in their own way. He will 
r.rnt^f'lu 'I" ^"^^s^^iPs a^^i^e Dardanelles certainly trust, and have every reason lo trust, the 
tnLbted^f w!..n^ , "K"^^ T^ manoeuvring ? quite exceptionally gifted officer whom he has made 
in u^iw/v <5.iSn; ^i^^t-^^ess the fire control his first adviser. Just as Sir Arthur Wilson was 
X?n^vT^2i^W fl """^ r^P^i^^-^^-^,^^ ^?^ undoubtedly the greatest tactician the ^a.v^^ pos- 
Iciencv of^. i^,^! tS— °f ^"^^^«J,\^"g the sessed in the passing generation; just as Lord 
eUiciency of the guns. This is because all move- Fisher revolutionised the construction of all con. 
10* 
