(_By our Naval Expert._)
An interesting little item of news in the daily papers of last Wednesday
may have escaped notice. It appears that the German Liners which have
been laid up in New York harbour for the last eighteen months have
discovered that their magnetic deviation has been affected. This is the
explanation of the recent movement in the harbour, when all the German
ships were turned round so as to readjust their compasses.
The special significance of this information is to be found by taking it
in conjunction with the recent puzzling reports of movements of the
German High Seas Fleet. It will be remembered that the Fleet was
represented in an enemy official report (with the customary
exaggeration) as sweeping out into the North Sea. That was not readily
believed, but it was generally felt that there must be something in it,
especially as all manner of rumours of naval activity kept coming
through from Scandinavia about the same time.
Our naval experts in this country were quite at a loss, but to-day the
riddle is solved. What was happening was that the High Seas Fleet was
_turning round_.
I have had the good fortune to fall in with a neutral traveller--of the
usual high standing and impartial sympathies--who has supplied a few
details. It seems that great excitement prevailed at this scene of
unwonted bustle and activity. The operation was carried out under
favourable weather conditions practically without a hitch, the
casualties being quite negligible, and the _moral_ of the men, in spite
of their long period of enforced coma, being absolutely unshaken. One
and all have now cheerfully accepted the disconcerting changes involved
in the new orientation, and window-boxes have been generally shifted to
the sunny side.
* * * * *
"On Monday, near Durgerdam, in Holland, a fresh dyke burst occurred
on a length of 50 metres. Over 200 handbags were at once thrown
into the opening without any visible result."--_Provincial Paper._
Still, the sacrifice was well meant.
* * * * *