This early disaster was retrieved on December 8th, when Admiral Sturdee annihilated a German squadron under Admiral von Spee off the Falkland Islands. For some time there was a good deal of activity on the part of commerce raiders, principally by the Emden and the Appam. On January 24th, 1915, there was a naval battle off Dogger Bank in which the Blucher was sunk, and six months later the Konigsberg, a German raider, which had taken refuge in the Rufigi River, was destroyed by British monitors.
The most serious naval engagement of the war took place off Jutland on May 31st, 1916. This proved to be the last attempt of the Germans to defy British sea-power. The enemy lost eighteen ships, and the British losses were by no means light, but the flight of the enemy fleet to the shelter of their mine fields left no doubt as to the issue. Probably the country will never know the extent of the navy’s work in maintaining the blockade, safeguarding our food supply from all parts of the world, and securing safe passage, not only for our own troops, but also for thousands of American soldiers.
Perhaps the most daring enterprise of the war from a naval standpoint was the raid on Ostend on April 22nd, 1918, which resulted in the destruction of the enemy’s submarine depots. The last act in the naval drama was the handing over of the German Fleet to Admiral Beatty, as part of the Armistice conditions, and the subsequent scuttling of it by the German crews while it was riding at anchor in Scapa Flow.
THE SIGNING OF PEACE.
The peace treaty was signed on Saturday, June 28th, in the Galerie des Glaces, Versailles, by the German delegates and representatives of all the Allied Powers except China. The German delegates, in a statement to the Press, declared they had signed the Treaty without any reservations and in the honest intention of carrying out its provisions to the best of their ability. They hoped, however, that some of its provisions would in time be modified.
The signing was received with great rejoicing throughout Britain, a notable demonstration being made outside Buckingham Palace, where the King, the Queen, their three sons and Princess Mary appeared on the balcony and were enthusiastically greeted.
The Chinese refusal to sign was due to the fact that the Council of Four could not see their way to reserve the question of Shantung for future consideration instead of its being settled as provided for in the Treaty.
The scene in the historic chamber was remarkable for the absence of pomp or martial show. M. Clemenceau presided over the formal proceedings, and with him were the French delegation, MM. Pichon, Klotz, Tardieu and Cambon; President Wilson and the American representatives, Mr. Lansing, Col. House and General Bliss; the British delegation consisting of Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Bonar Law, Mr. A. J. Balfour, Lord Milner and Mr. G. N. Barnes; with the following representatives of the Empire: Canada—Sir George Foster, Mr. Doherty and Mr. Sefton; Australia—Mr. Hughes and Sir Joseph Cook; New Zealand—Mr. Massey; South Africa—General Botha and General Smuts.
Subsequent to the signing the King issued a formal message in which he stated that he shared the people’s joy and prayed that the years of peace might bring to them ever-increasing happiness and prosperity.
