Admiral Mahan contributed to the Daily Mail of Monday a
most interesting survey of the naval and military position in Europe. He regards the military strength of Germany and Austria-Hungary as unquestionably superior to that of the Triple Entente. The Powers of Central Europe are compact, have a perfectly united system of railways, and would have the advantage of fighting on interior lines. But there is a real offset against this military power,—the financial resources of France and the British Navy. War in
which Great Britain and Germany were engaged would mean "substantially the suppression of German sea-borne com- merce, the extent of which is little realised." Admiral Mahan concludes There is little cause for wonder, then, that Germany is con- tracting debt in order to strengthen her Navy. The wonder is that intelligent men in Great Britain should be found to ignore these facts, and to advocate immunity from the incidence of war for sea-borne commerce, under the delusive definition of 'private property.' As a student of military and naval history, it is to me certain that the advantages of the situation, regarded as com- mercial and military, are almost wholly with Groat Britain, granting the continuance of the present laws of capture."
Persons interested in this most momentous question should not fail to read Mr. Leverton Harris's article on the Declaration of London in the National Review of this month.
