August 21, 1915. 
LAND AND SV.ATER 
The above «ket-ch map shows the commnnications between Ger- 
many aivd Pctrograd. B'roni Koenigsberg the railway ruiiB from 
Kovno to Vilna, where it strikes the main line northward. At Dniw.- 
berg there is a branch line to Riga, and Riga is connected with 
Libna. The only railway from Riga to Petrograd is through Dorpat 
to Reval. If an advance is to be made east of the main Pctrogi-ad 
line, Riga is almost indispensable as a base. From Riga to Petro- 
grad is 310 milee as the crow flies. From Koenigsberg to Libau is 
as near as possible 150 miles, and from Koenigsberg to Riga by sea 
is about 360 miles. The Dirben Channel is south of the island of 
Oesel. From Reval to Petrograd is just under 200 miles. 
It is in the hands of the Germans to decide 
for how long the issue is to be delayed. If suffi- 
cient force is sent — a large enough number of 
mine-sweepers, sufficiently numerous destroyers, 
sufficient cruisers, an adequate battleship force 
— then the waters between Oesel and Courland 
can, 80 to speak, be held while sweeping opera- 
tions continue. Thus, and thus only, can the 
Germans force their way into the Gulf. But 
observe, to do this means the maintenance of a 
great fleet of all arms in a limited area, the larger 
units preoccupied with the defence of the smaller. 
Is it not exactly the situation that Torrington 
had in view ? The military exigencies of the cam- 
paign may compel the Germans to attempt this 
operation. And then the opportunity of the 
Ru.ssian Fleet will come. 
DARDANELLES DISPATCHES. 
Admiral de Robeck's dispatch describing the 
events of April 25 and 26 has, for some reason 
or other, been very greatly delayed. It is only 
'dated July 1, the delay, therefore, does not arise 
from its publication being held back in London. 
iThe document itself is extremely reserved. It 
tells us very little more than did Sir Ian Hamil- 
ton's earlier account of the same operation. The 
most gratifying feature of the dispatch is the list 
of commendations of officers, non-commissioned 
officers, and men who conspicuously distinguished 
themselves on that great occasion. But consider- 
ing the scale of the operation, and that " innumer- 
able deeds of heroism and daring were performed ; 
the gallantry and absolute contempt for death dis- 
played alone made the operations possible," the 
mentions of recommendations are not numerous. 
But six V.C.'s have been granted — five of them in 
connection with Commander Unwin's amazing 
efforts in the landing from the River Clyde. 
Sixteen D.S.O.'s are given, twenty-one D.S.C.'s, 
while a considerable number of men received the 
Distinguished Service Medal. And large 
numbers of both officers and men are commended 
for bravery in action. There is something quite 
delightful in seeing the V.C. won by two midship- 
men, and the D.S.C. by thirteen others. Admiral 
de Robeck pays a generous tribute to the happy 
co-operation between both the Army and the Navy, 
and between the French, English, and the 
Russians, while the bravery of the Australian and 
New Zealand brigade is spoken of in the highest 
possible terms. But interesting and thrilling as 
the dispatch is, one feels that the whole story of 
this astonishing feat of arms is still to be written. 
P.S. — Since writing the above we have received 
the news of the sinking of the Royal Edivard by 
a submarine in the ^gean. The news, as given 
by the Secretary of the Admiralty, seems to imply 
that over a thousand lives have been lost. That, 
aftef twelve months of war, the German sub- 
marines have, at last, succeeded in sinking their 
first transport is an evidence, not of the power of 
the submarine, but of the effectiveness of tho 
means adopted for frustrating its attacks. For 
many hundreds of transports have carried many 
hundreds of thousands over countless miles of sea. 
There is nothing in this unhappy mischance to 
one of them to qualify my statement that Admiral 
de Robeck and his officers have taken the measure 
of the menace. Had the hostile under-water craft 
controlled the situation, not one, but most of tha 
transports would have been sunk. A much larger 
number of such casualties was no doubt antici- 
pated, and had they occurred would not materi- 
ally have altered the situation. The loss of a 
thousand lives is a terrible and lamentable thing, 
but it will not shake the resolution of the nation 
at home, nor of the fighting men at the front, nor 
of the many thousands who are constantly going 
to or coming from the various theatres of war. 
A. H. POLLEN. 
OUR SPECIAL NUMBER. 
ITS INSTANT SUCCESS. 
The demand for our Special Number was so 
widespread and immediate that the complete 
issue was sold out within twenty-four hours oi 
publication. 
This is all the more gratifying since many 
thousand extra copies were printed in anticipa- 
tion of a very large sale, and experience has 
proved that, in the case of Land and Water, a 
new reader always becomes a regular subscriber. 
The reason for this success is, we believe, 
that the readers of Land and Water can count 
on a fair statement and expert analysis of the 
operations of the war — neither optimistic nor 
pessimistic, but based upon an accurate know- 
ledge and intelligent interpretation of the facts. 
We shall continue our policy of presenting, 
week by week, a summary of events on land and 
sea by Hilaire Belloc and A. H. Pollen, while in 
the special articles contributed by other well- 
known writers the diversity of interest will be 
maintained. 
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