July 3, 1915. 
LAND AND WATER. 
important, in projectiles, will become increasingly 
difficult. Indeed tlie value of the work of tue 
submarines in the Sea of Marmara, if they can 
be successfully maintained in sufficient numbers, 
is quite incalculable, because the whole strategical 
problem of forcing the Dardanelles will be alto- 
gether altered if the main source of Turkish sup- 
ply has to be shifted from a line partly by land 
through Asia Minor and then by transport to 
Gallipoli to a line entirely by land north of the 
Sea of Marmara, through Rodosto and the 
Isthmus of Bulair. If sea communications are 
finally cut, the problem of cutting the land com- 
munications will not be insoluble. 
SUBMARINES AND INVASION. 
In last week's issue Mr. Belloc dealt with 
the rumour of an intended German invasion 
of these islands, from the point of view ot 
its strategical purpose, but without reference 
to the naval problems involved. I propose at a 
future date to go, in some detail, into what an 
invasion of these islands would imply, both in 
the form of naval support for the invaders and ot 
naval defence on our part. But for the moment 
I confine myself to asking anyone who may be 
nervous on this subject a simple question. V\ e 
have had a fairly full series of accounts of the 
landing effected in the Gallipoli Peninsula, and 
our illustrated papers have given us most interest- 
ing photographs, which bring the scene ot the 
massed transports, carrying the men who were 
to be landed, and of the war ships, whose boats 
effected the landing and whose guns covered it. 
,"We have even seen a picture of the Majestic 
turning over after being torpedoed, and so sur- 
rounded by transports and auxiliary ships as to 
make the feat of hitting her appear a remarkable 
one, and the feat of avoiding observation till the 
shot was taken even more remarkable. 
If an invasion of these shores was contem- 
plated it is obvious that a number of men would 
have to be sent at least fifty per cent, greater than 
it would be hoped could be landed successtully. 
If it was thought that 70,000 was the smallest 
number that could be usefully put on shore, cer- 
tainly 100,000, probably 150,000, would have to 
be dispatched. This force would have to bring 
its own guns, its horses, its ammunition, and cer- 
tainly some days' food. How many transports or 
specially constructed barges would be required i 
The nights are now at their shortest. The chances 
of such an armada escaping observation until 
even within a few miles of the shore would be 
exceedingly slender. When all allowances are 
made for the submarines that have been sent 
abroad, we must have many scores of them m these 
waters. If three German submarines have vyorked 
the havoc they have off the Gallipoli Peninsula 
how many transports out of a great armada could 
be expected to get past our submarines and fetch 
the beach ? 
THE SUBMARINE'S INTERNATIONAL 
INILUENGE. 
Keeping to the preceding line of thought one 
is tempted to say that while it is of submarine 
Tvents only of which we hear, it is also the sub- 
marine campaign that raises what is, peAap-. 
Te most in\portant political question of he 
moment, namely, the relations of the United 
States to Germany on one side, and to Great 
Britain on the other. Tliere is as yet no official 
intimation as to the character of the forthcoming 
German reply. In view of the struggle between 
von Tirpitz and von Hollweg, no importance can 
be attached to the German Press forecasts ot its 
tenor— more especially as these forecasts were 
made before Herr Dernburg had arrived m 
Berlin. But events have moved in America m a 
wav that is distinctly interesting and to some 
extent ominous. Two separate campaigns, both 
of them hostile to Great Britain, have been under- 
taken. One a " peace at any price campaign, 
organised by the pro-Germans, to which Mr 
Brvan has somewhat shamelessly lent sach 
authority as still attaches to his name, the other 
a more subtle, and possibly a more dangerous 
attempt to make Americans resent the alleged 
high-handed proceedings of Great Britain m in- 
terfering with the export ot German goods to 
America I call this campaign dangerous 
because, while President Wilson s note to Ge- 
many was quite explicit, and apparently pe- 
mitted of no reply except an equally expl cit 
" Yes " or " Xo" there is nevertheless a baie 
possibility of America permitting Germany, 
to continue her efforts to evade the issue 
That the bulk of Americans are extremely, 
averse from taking part in this war is in- 
disputable, and the peace party th^^g^ by no 
meins a pro-German party, will no doubt niake 
the most of the pretension that, whatever Ger- 
many's crimes against the Divine Law may b^ 
Great Britain's offences against international law 
are almost equally beyond question. It is really 
a shorrsight'ed a^gun'ient, for Great Britain can 
regularise the position whenever she pleases by, 
proclaiming a strict blockade. I do not antici- 
pate that either of these campaigns m America 
will ultimately deflect President Wilson from the 
course to which he has now bound his country, but 
both are worth noting as adding materially to the 
difficulties of his position. 
THE PIRATE CAMPAIGN. 
The German submarines have been less 
intensely active since June 17, the last date m the 
record published in these pages last ^^eek^ But 
the attacks have by no means ceased. And there 
Is no evidence of there being any change of hear 
on Germany's part— at least so far as Biitish 
ships are concerned. But we now have news of 
two or three instances of German conduct whidi 
looks as if they were anxious to be less uncon- 
cmatory towards neutrals. The Norwegian 
s eame/ Venus, for instance which came into 
Newcastle about a week ago, had been ^cU up by 
a submarine but had not been sunk. The puate 
eapta^ offered the alternative of throwing the 
careo to which he ob ected overboard. This once 
iettisonedT the ship was allowed to proceed. 
Cain 't appears that another Norwegian, the 
nlTanger, sunk on June 17, ^^«^,<^°"demned b^, 
the captain of the submarine on he ground that 
the ship's name had been changed and t at theie 
was a suspicion of false nationality. And n the 
Le of the Trudcan, a third Norwegian ship^ he 
Germans, though attacking her ^^thout waimn 
towed the crew in the direction of anotliei ves.s I 
which finally brought them to Beigen. in^ 
cases both of Venus and ^«^^«'f 1': "^j^P The 
seems to have acted on quan legal giounds. mo 
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