. But Germany was
perhaps 80% self-supporting, was well supplied with minerals and
munitions, and could count on trade through neutral states on her
frontiers. Her shallow, well-protected North Sea coast-line gave
her immunity from naval attack and opportunity to choose the moment
in which to throw her utmost strength into a sortie. So long as her
fleet remained intact, it controlled the Baltic by virtue of an
interior line through the Kiel Canal, thus providing a strangle hold
on Russia and free access to northern neutrals. Only by dangerous
division of forces, or by leaving the road to England and the Atlantic
open, could the British fleet enter the Baltic Sea. England it is
true had a superior navy (perhaps less superior than was commonly
thought), and a position of singular advantage between Germany and
the overseas world. But for her the maintenance of naval superiority
was absolutely essential. An effective interference with her sea
communications would quickly put her out of the war.

The importance (for Germany as well as for England) of preserving
their main fighting fleets, may explain the wariness with which
they were employed. Instead of risking them desperately, both sides
turned to commerce warfare--the Western Powers resorting to blockade
and the Germans to submarines. Each of these forms of warfare played
a highly important part in the war, and the submarine campaign in
particular, calling for new methods and new instruments, seems
almost to have monopolized the naval genius and energies of the
two groups of belligerents. It may be noted, however, that but
for the cover given by the High Seas Fleet, the submarine campaign
could hardly have been undertaken; and but for the Grand Fleet,
it would have been unnecessary.

The naval strength of the various belligerents in July, 1914, appears
in the table on the following page.[1]

[Footnote 1: From table prepared by U. S. Office of Naval Intelligence,
July 1, 1916.]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
| Great |Ger-| U.S. | | | | |
|Britain|many|(1916)|France|Japan|Russia|Italy|Austria
---------------|-------|----|------|------|-----|------|-----|-------
Dreadnoughts | 20 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 2 | .. | 3 | 3
---------------|-------|----|------|------|-----|------|-----|-------
Pre-dreadn'ts | 40 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 6
---------------|---