To Kiel in the Hercules.' By Lewis R. Freeman. (Murray.
6s. net.)—In this highly interesting book Mr. Freeman describes the visit of the Allied Naval Commission last December to the German naval ports and air stations for the purpose of seeing that the Armistice conditions had been fulfilled. The ' Hercules' and her escorting destroyers went and returned through the Biel Canal. The Commission inspected the great Zeppelin station at Nordholz and the station at Tondern, which was almost entirely destroyed last year by British airmen flying from H.M.S. ' Furious' and taking the risk of being unable to return to her. Much of the book reads like a commentary on and revision of The Riddle of the Sands. During the Commission's visit the ports were under the control of workmen's and sailors' Councils, who cared nothing for the German officers. The author thought that the country people were well fed, and he did not observe any signs of privation. Bremen was a dead city, its port filled with idle merchantmen. A German naval officer, who had served at Jutland, expressed his approval of Lord Jellieoe's tactics in turning away from the torpedo " barrage." He also said that the German sailors were completely discouraged by their experience, and that the High 13ea Fleet would never have ventured to give battle after that day.
Previous page
