The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-28
ENG[ AND

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.]
LONDON, Dec. 29.-"The raid Of
British warshps and aeroplanes upon
the German naval base and the drop
ping OF bombs upon cuxhaven, may be
regarded as Eng lands answer to the
threats Of Admiral Won Tirpitz."
This was the statement Of gov
ernment official here today. All Eng
land 10 elated an result ct the sue
cess Of the British squadron In enter
ing the waters Of the heretofore dread
ed HeIigoland. lit Is generally be-
lIeved today that the bombs dropped
by the naval aviators did moro dam
age than the Germans caro- to admit.
"von Tirpitz threatened with words
to attempt to starve out England by
establishing submarine patrol and
torpedoing merchant ships the Of
fetal declared. Deeds are better
than words. The raid made upon cux-
haven speaks for ITSELF"
Naval and military authorities today
declare that the raid Of the British
fleet and aeropanes on chistmas day
resulted In the explosion Of one Of
Germany,s greatest cIaims-that Yep
peIins could be used successfully In
attacks on warships. Although Yep
peiins were engaged with German
aeroplanes In the attack upon the
British cruisers and destroyers, the
bombs which they dropped, fell harm
lessIy into the water. That cruisers
and dreadnaughts are also able to re-
tain their supremacy over submarines
in an open fight was also demonstrate
ed, the English authorities assert. BY
clever maneuverlno the British fleet
completely frustrated the attacks
made by the German submarines.
More Dreadnaughts.
[By r. NJ. Sarl, United Press Stan
Correspondent. Il,
LONDON, Dec. 15.--(By mail to
New York. 1.-THE claims of First Lord
OF the Admiralty Winston Churchill,
that England will have fifteen more
dreadnaughts ready for action before
the end of next year is no idle boast.
In fact, according to naval experts, it
is an under-statement by at least two
ships.
Since the outbreak Of war the Brit
ish censor has rig.dly suppressed the
publication of anything concerning the
building, launching or commissioning
OF warships, but, without breach Of
confidence, 1t is possible to compile a
fairly accurate list Of England's re-
inforcements from admiralty data al
ready made public.
When war was declared, England
had in commission twentyseight dread
naught battleships and battle cruis-
ers, not counting the Lord Nelson and
which although nearly
as powerful-they mount four Pinch
and ten 2-10-inch guns apiece-are
reckoned as pre-dreadnaughts.
Building or refltting, England had
thirteen iron-clad monsters on August
and another four just laid down.
These vessels were reinforced by the
purchase OF two battleships building
in England for Chile and the forcible
acquisition of two building for Turkey.
Work at the ship yards Is proceeding
so feverishly that the four battlesh.ps
of the 1914 program may be completed
before the end of the war, but Church
Ill does not reckon them in his esti-
will be seen then that he has seven
will me seen then that he has seven
teen vessels, including the Turkish
and Chilean acquisitions.
or these. five, the Emperor OF India,
the Ben Bow, Queen Elizabeth and
Warspite and the $4,000 ton, thirty
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