d civic
duties--this is what is required for the highest military educational
institution of the German army.

CHAPTER XII

PREPARATION FOR THE NAVAL WAR

"Germany's future lies on the sea." A proud saying, which contains a
great truth. If the German people wish to attain a distinguished future
and fulfil their mission of civilization, they must adopt a world policy
and act as a World Power. This task can only be performed if they are
supported by an adequate sea power. Our fleet must be so strong at least
that a war with us involves such dangers, even to the strongest
opponent, that the losses, which might be expected, would endanger his
position as a World Power.

Now, as proved in another place, we can only stake our forces safely on
a world policy if our political and military superiority on the
continent of Europe be immovably established. This goal is not yet
reached, and must be our first objective. Nevertheless, we must now take
steps to develop by sea also a power which is sufficient for our
pretensions. It is, on the one hand, indispensably necessary for the
full security of our Continental position that we guard our coasts and
repel oversea attacks. On the other hand, it is an absolute economic
necessity for us to protect the freedom of the seas--by arms if needs
be--since our people depend for livelihood on the export industry, and
this, again, requires a large import trade. The political greatness of
Germany rests not least on her flourishing economic life and her oversea
trade. The maintenance of the freedom of the seas must therefore be
always before our eyes as the object of all our naval constructions. Our
efforts must not be merely directed towards the necessary repulse of
hostile attacks; we must be conscious of the higher ideal, that we wish
to follow an effective world policy, and that our naval power is destined
ultimately to support this world policy.

Unfortunately, we did not adopt this view at the start, when we first
ventured on the open sea. Much valuable time was wasted in striving for
limited and insufficient objects. The Emperor William II. was destined
to be the first to grasp this question in its bearing on the world's
history, and to treat it accordingly. All our earlier naval activity
must be set down as fruitless.

We have been busied for years in building a fleet. Most varied
considerations guided our policy. A clear, definite programme was first
drawn up by the gre