Wonderful news for war-weary Australians! Because Britannia really does rule the waves, Sydney's The World's News carolled 100 years ago this week, "Britain Has Already Beaten Germany [in the Great War of 1914-1918]."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"Up to the present British sea-power has accomplished all that Nelson accomplished for his country and a little more. That is to say ... it has has abolished the German
commerce from the sea, it has destroyed the German warships and undersea boats [submarines] that have ventured within reach, it has given to British commerce and to British transport the safe use of the sea. Despite the sensational details of the sinking of a few great liners, it is well to remember that the actual percentage
of loss of British shipping from German activities is far smaller than that inflicted by
French privateers in the Napoleonic time and never did the British in the earlier wars
with the French succeed in paralysing so completely an enemy commerce as they have now.
"Germany is besieged. Germany has lost the sea. Not a German ship can put to sea. Britain has abolished German commerce. Now, unless Germany can outlast Britain, or find some way to exercise compulsion upon Britain, she must ultimately go to London
and ask for peace, because she must ultimately resume her sea commerce, she must ultimately use the oceans. Germany cannot return to the ordinary business
of life until she can again begin to ship her manufactures by water and draw her raw materials by the same route."
