Somewhat to our amazement, the Figaro has been allowed to
publish, and Reuter's Agency to despatch here, the following very frank and, in our opinion, well-justified criticism of the Zeebrugge bombardment :—
" Foresight would have dictated an unceasing renewal of the attacks on Zeebrugge. The enemy should have been harassed there and allowed no rest. The attacks should have been persisted in until the new naval stronghold had been destroyed. But a; contrary view has prevailed. Operations have only been carried out at periodical intervals. The fear of the losses that might be incurred paralyses any energetic and continuous action. In war no success is obtained without losses. All that it is necessary to know is whether the losses to be reckoned with are worth the Jesuit to be achieved. Who could doubt the capital advantage the Entente would have obtained with Zeebrugge annihilated and made unfit to serve as a base for the German fleets ? We hope that the combined attack on Zeebrugge on May 12th will be followed up immediately, until some tangible result has been obtained, by constant attacks of the same kind, bringing into action all the aerial and maritime means at the disposal of the Allies. There should be no more of these periodic attacks, which accomplish nothing, or very little."
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