This entry of the Navy into the land war has
immensely pleased our sailors, who deep down in their hearts always cherish the belief that they have an extraordinary aptitude for shore fighting, though they cannot get a sceptical military world to believe it. Every naval man from Admiral to blue- jacket loves " a battle lark ashore," and firing at cavalry and infantry and field artillery is a very near approach to this bliss. The fact that for three days our ships have been able to carry on this amphibious war without any interruption from submarines is a remarkable proof of the splendid vigilance of our patrols, and also a proof of how difficult a weapon a submarine is to use, tremendous though its powers be. One would have thought that eleven ships moving slowly, as they are obliged to move in these inshore operations, could not have been kept immune from German under-water craft.
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