“Good!” cried Jack and Frank in a single voice.
“It has always seemed strange to me,” said Frank, “why such an attempt has not been made before. The Germans do it. Why haven’t we?”
“Well,” said Lord Hastings, “I suppose the main reason is that Heligoland is too far away.”
“But the Germans have done it,” said Jack.
“True; but you must remember they have established a naval base at Ostend; and the distance from Ostend to Dover, and other British coast towns, is not as great as from the British coast to Heligoland.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Frank. “However, I know this much. In every war in which the United States has engaged, some such desperate attempt has resulted successfully. Take Dewey at Manila, or Farragut at Mobile Bay. Both went right in, regardless of mines and forts.”
“That is true,” said Lord Hastings. “No one can dispute the bravery and daring of the American sailor. Nevertheless, it has always seemed to me to be foolhardy. Had it been absolutely necessary, it would have been different. But a blockade would have been just as effective.”
“I don’t know about that,” replied Frank. “Ever since the beginning of this war I have wondered why a British fleet didn’t try to get at the Germans.”
“Well, as nearly as I can make out,” said Lord Hastings, “it is because it has been believed unnecessary to take such a chance.”
“Of course,” said Frank, “we, in this submarine, will have a better chance of performing such a raid successfully than any other vessel, because we can go beneath the water, and stay there until we get ready to come up.”