November 13, 1915. 
LAND AND WATER 
power. Sixteen months of war find the Allies' 
equipment approximating to the enemy's. A far 
shorter period of blockade by sea has brought the 
enemy's stocks of a hundred necessaries both of life 
and of war, to a perilously low level. If that 
process continues, his strength must be sapped. 
And the process need not be a slow one. If that 
process is arrested, if supplies can reach him in 
indefinite quantities, he can recommence the 
campaign with something of his former and terrific 
vigour. Unfettered imports would give him a new- 
lease of fighting life — a lease may be of several 
months. 
Is the replenishing of German fighting supplies 
the thing America wants ? Is the object of this 
protest to strengthen German arms, to increase 
her hopes of victory, to malce the task of extermin- 
ating Serbia — as she has already exterminated 
Belgium — easier and more expeditious ? Does 
America, in short, wish by diplomacy to do for 
Germany what the German fleet cannot do for 
itself, what indeed not even America in arms 
could be sure of doing ? 
It may not be entirely in accordance with 
diplomatic usage for a reply to be sent, not to 
Mr. Page, but to the American President, and 
not by Sir Edward Grey but jointly by the belliger- 
ent Allies. It may be unusual to point out that we 
are being asked to abandon what all countries with 
sea command — the Federal Government of America 
certainly not less than others — have regarded as 
almost the chief weapon of its victorious fleet. It 
may seem rather startling to ask the United States 
to choose between the ravishers of Belgium, the 
authors of the Lusitania murders, the avowed 
breakers of all public faith, the unblushing advo- 
cates of any barbarism or inhumanity that helps 
to win, and those of us in Europe who still stand 
for the Right, and are cheerfully sacrificing ease 
and wealth and life solely that Right should prevail. 
But when, after all, these are the issues, might not 
frankness succeed where diplomacy has failed ? 
SUBMARINES AND THE EASTERN 
CAMPAIGNS. 
We must not be surprised if we hear in the 
future of very great extensions of submarine 
activity, nor yet if, so far as naval events go, we 
hear of very little else. The course the sea war 
has taken seems to preclude all reasonable prob- 
ability of a fleet action, and, in modern condi- 
tions, the country whose main fleet is unable to 
keep the sea, is unable to keep any other surface 
ships upon the sea at all. The British and Allied 
navies, then, will find their chief activities in con- 
voying and protecting the armies sent by water. 
The enemy will find his only activity in attacking 
these military communications. And where the 
enemy's communications and supplies are water 
borne — that is in waters where our surface ships 
cannot enter to paralyse his use of the sea — our 
own attack will be Umited to submarines. How 
effective that attack can be, the sinking of the 
Undine once more proves. 
« The entry of certain German submarines 
into the Mediterranean was announced from 
Paris at the beginning of this week, and the 
event was treated in the French Press as if 
it were an entirely novel portent. This is, per- 
haps, due to the fact that, when the submarines 
.Mk. a. H. Pollkn will lecture uii " Ihu Mavy at War " on bclialt 
o( naval and military charities at Harrow School, Saturday, November 
ijtli, at 8 p.m. Oundlc School, Wednesday, November 17th. 
were sent from Cuxhaven into the Dardanelles 
the fact that they were observed on their journey 
down the coast of Spain and through Gibraltar was 
not communicated to the public. The theory 
therefore obtained credence that they had some- 
how been sent down the Danube and come upon the 
scene via the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmora and 
the Dardanelles. But it is not practical to send 
submarines by this route, and there is no evidence 
that any boats have ever come from Pola. The 
passage by the Atlantic and Gibraltar is practicable ; 
it is the only one that is available for German craft, 
so that if the enemy sends more submarines by a 
route which others have already taken, it is only 
what was to be expected. A recent telegram from 
Salonica states that Allied troops are landing in 
that port at the rate of 5,000 per day. The im- 
portance to the enemy of deranging these landings 
is obviously paramount. It is, however, character- 
istic of the German submarine captains that,- in- 
stead of going straight to the field where their 
operations might be of greatest military value, 
they should be hanging about the Western Mediter- 
ranean and sinking merchantmen of insignificant 
tonnage. 
I have commented recently on what must neces- 
sarily happen as a consequence of our campaign 
against the under-water boats that have for the 
last eight months been destroying British, Allied, 
and neutral merchantmen in these waters. The de- 
parture for the Mediterranean illustrates my argu- 
ment. If, as seems certain. Great Britain and 
France decide to engage the enemy on the largest 
scale in a land campaign in Serbia, 'Bulgaria and 
in European Turkey, then it will be necessary to 
concentrate anti-submarine units up the Straits, 
even at the cost of leaving our merchant shipping 
once more open to attack. It seems quite necessary 
at this point to impress upon the public, that the 
enemy is bound to do his worst against the military 
forces seaborne to the East, and that no defensive 
measures can be completely successful. A certain 
proportion, though probably only a very small one, 
of the troopships and transports will, therefore, 
be sunk. If this is thoroughly understood by the 
public, there will be no occasion to keep the fact 
of these losses secret. They are not likely ever to 
be large enough to generate a weakness that should 
be hidden from the enemy. 
"LAND AND WATER ' PIANO FUND. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir, — On behalf of my Ship's Company, I desire to thank 
you, and through you, those who so kindly subscribed to- 
wards it, for the excellent piano we have received. How 
liighly it is appreciated may be judged from the fact that 
it is in constant use every spare moment when the motion 
of the ship will permit it. 
It has already unearthed quite a lot of talent. It will 
be all the more appreciated now that the days are shortening 
and the cold weather is approaching. 
With best wishes from all hands. — Yours faithfully 
R. S. GoFi", Lieut. Commander. 
H.M.S. Garland. 
Indirect Laying (is. net), published by Messrs. Forster 
Groom and Co., is a simple explanation by an artillery officer 
of the steps that must be taken to get a battery on to its line 
of tire, together with a statement of the reasons for each step 
in the piocess. Although the problems connected with gun- 
laying are discussed in technical detail, the whole of the book 
is well within the comprehension of any intelhgent N.C.O., 
and the book is one that is worthy of careful perusal by artillery 
officers and non-connnissoined officers, as it brings conunon 
sense to bear on a subject that at a first glance appears ex- 
tremely difficulty, and thus renders artillery training easier 
and more attractive. 
IQ 
