defeated, would attempt to regain their independence. In this case there
was also the possibility of capturing Cape Colony and Rhodesia from the
British. Much to the surprise and disgust of Germany, the Boers promptly
showed their loyalty to Great Britain and aided in capturing the German
colonies.

The struggle for Germany's African colonies continued for more than
three years. Togo, a comparatively small colony, was captured by French
and British troops shortly after the outbreak of the war. Under the Boer
leaders, Generals Smuts and Botha, German Southwest Africa was conquered
by July of 1915. Kamerun in West Africa was freed from German forces in
1916. The final chapter in the fight for the German colonies was written
in December of 1917, when an army from British South Africa, in
coöperation with Belgian forces, completed the conquest of German East
Africa.

GERMANY'S FLEET.--When war was declared the German fleet, which had
cost the people of Germany a billion and a half of dollars, was
something less than two thirds the strength of the British fleet.
Germany's task was to destroy the British fleet or to weaken it to such
an extent that it could no longer protect the British trade in food and
munitions from over seas, nor assure the safe transport of troops from
Great Britain or her colonies to the various fronts.

THE WORK OF THE BRITISH NAVY.--The British navy had two pieces of work
to perform. In the first place its aim was to destroy or bottle up in
port the main German fleet so that it should not be able to interfere
with the British plans for the war. In the second place squadrons had to
be sent out to search for and destroy German squadrons or vessels that
were far from home ports at the outbreak of war or that were sent out to