lized by our friends in the United States before this
comes into their hands.

The German fleet is in like manner a weapon of defense. It was very
small up to the end of the last century, but has since then been
consistently built up according to the ground principles which Mr.
Roosevelt has so often in his powerful manner laid down for the American
fleet. The question has often been asked, what is there for the German
fleet to defend, since the German coastline is so short? The answer
is that the strength of a fleet must not be made to depend upon the
length of coastlines, but upon how many ships and how much merchandise
go out from and enter the harbors, how great oversea interests there
are, how large the colonies are and how they are situated, and, finally,
how strong the sea powers are with which Germany may have to carry on a
war and how they are situated. To meet all these requirements there is
but one remedy, namely, either that our fleet shall be strong enough to
prevent the strongest sea power from conducting war against us, or that,
if war does come, it shall be able so to battle against the mightiest
opponent that the latter shall be seriously weakened.

Germany, as especially the Americans know, has become a great merchant
marine nation, whose colonies are flourishing. Furthermore, since the
land's growing population has greatly increased its strength in the
course of the last years, the mistrust and jealousy of Great Britain
have in particular been directed steadily against the development of our
ocean commerce, and later of our navy. To the upbuilding of the German
Navy were ascribed all manner of plans--to attack Great Britain, to make
war on Japan, &c. It was even declared by the English press that Germany
intended to attack the United States as soon as its fleet was strong
enough. Today, when Great Britain has needlessly declared war upon us,
the Americans will perhaps believe that our fleet was never planned or
built for an attack on any one. Germany desired simply to protect its
coasts and its marine interests in the same manner in which it protects
its land boundaries. It is realized in the United States as well as here
that a fleet can be powerful only when it has a sufficient number of
vessels of all classes, and when it is thoroughly and unremittingly
schooled in times of peace. We have tried to attain this ideal in
Germany, and it may be remarked that the training of the personnel
requires grea