November 28, 1918 
LAND 6? WATER 
GERMAN DESTROYERS SURRENDERING TO THE BRITISH NAVY 
Official Photo 
Unfulfilled Armistice Conditions 
The naval conditions of the armistice were directed to 
bring about three results: the complete disarmament of' 
Germany, the clearing of the enemy mine-fields frcm the 
seas, the opening of the Baltic and the Black Sea. Dis- 
armament was to be brought about by two steps. First, 
there was to be the surrender of six battle-cruisers, ten battle- 
ships, eight light cruisers, fifty new destroyers, and all the 
submarines. On Thursday last nine battleships (and not 
ten), five battle-cruisers (and not six), seven light cruisers 
(and not eight) were handed over. The submarines are 
coming over in batches, and at the time of writing the exact 
number already at Harwich is not known. But it has been 
stated that only about a hundred were, on the day the 
armistice was signed, in German ports with full complements. 
If the Allies have accepted this figure, no more will be brought 
to this country. But the intelligence branch of the Admiralty 
is very unlikely to be wrong as to the actual number of sub- 
marines that tnight be in full complement, had Germany 
possessed a loyal and disciplined navy. And if it is right 
in its estimate, there will be at least as many more submarines 
technically fit for sea as will put to sea for their last journey. 
It is the second measure exacted by the Allies that will make 
the actual number of ships surrendered immaterial. This 
provides that all submarines that cannot put to sea and all 
other surface warships, including river craft, that have not 
surrendered are to be concentrated in German naval bases 
to be designated, to be paid off, to be completely disarmed, 
and then placed under the supervision of the Allies. Intoler- 
able, then, as the first condition would have appeared to 
any navy but the German, a more grinding humiliation is 
still in store. For the terms of the armistice have no meaning 
at all unless British fleets are to appear in German harbours, 
and to occupy and dominate every place at which warships, 
completed or incompleted, are lying, from which any war- 
ship, surface or under-water, can issue. If the German Navy 
has ju.st made its last, as well as its longest, sortie into the 
North Sea, the British Navy is about to make its first into 
waters dominated by Gerjnan coast defences. But these 
defenc^^ will be harmless, for they, too, must be surrendered. 
At the time of writing, all we know is that a squadrf)n, under 
Vice-Admiral Browning, is on its way to see to the fulfilment 
of this very severe, but most necessary, provision. It may 
seem surprising that this squadron did not leave on Friday. 
The reason, possibly, is that another armistice condition may 
not have been completed. This is the indication to the 
y\llies of the locality of every German mine-field. Until 
these under-water dangers were definitely removed it would 
olwiously be imprudent to risk our ships ; but if the enemy 
has complied with his part of the bargain the clearance 
should not take long, and then the Allied seizure of the- 
bases will no doubt be prompt. 
Vice-Admiral Browning's squadron is apparently to be 
directed to the Baltic, and not to the German North Sea 
ports. It will thus do its share towards fulfilling the third 
of the objects aimed at by the armistice. This was to throw 
the Baltic and tne Black Sea open to the sea forces of the Allies. 
Already we hear that the Bosphorus has been cleared and 
that the French have undertaken the naval dominance of 
the Black Sea. It will be for Vice-Admiral Brcwnirg to do 
the same thing in waters which no British surface ship has 
entered since the declaration of war. Thus, before very 
long, all the naval forces belonging to or seized by Germany 
will be in Allied control and the sea-power of the Alliance will 
be in a position to make itself felt where hitherto it has not 
reached at all. 
The Full Power of the Sea 
The seizure of the dockyards, the Kiel Canal, the naval bases, 
and the Baltic ports, and the opening of the Baltic and the Black 
Seas, are of far greater practical importance than the surrender 
of an inadequate number of German fighting ships and sub- 
marines, simply because the war is not j'et over, and, what- 
ever a peace conference may decide, there can be no real 
peace until sea-power can claim the full fruits of its final 
victory. And that victory cannot be won until the peoples 
of Central Furope find themselves encompassed by the fleet 
which, in purblind rashness, was flouted and challenged by 
the army leaders of Germany and Austria. A very little 
consideration of the state of Russia, Poland, and the Slav 
countries, no less than of the present state of Austria and 
Germany, will, it seems to me, show convincing cause why 
it is highly perilous to allow even the smallest delay in 
insisting upon our Fleet asserting its power where its 
influence will be greatest. In Russia, Bolshevist anarchy 
has brought all the northern and western provinces to a state 
of utter exhaustion. The Siberian movement, from which, 
if anywhere, the regeneration of that country is to come, 
has just discarded its democratic character in despair, not 
only of the divided counsels inseparable from such a character 
amongst people utterly untrained to democratic action, but 
because it was found that democracy was but a cloak for 
treachery. It has accordingly vested Admiral Koltchak. 
that extraordinary product of the Russian Navy after its 
rejuvenation by the Japanese war, with dictatorial powers. His 
headquarters are at Omsk. It is no doubt a far cry from 
