New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-05
German Warships Escape
UnsCathed After the
Battle Off Chill.
BRITISH ADMIRALTY
STILL UNIFORMED
Victorious Fleet of the Kaiser
Can Use Panama Canal,
Says Roosevelt.

that engaged the German squadron on
Coronel Sunday, and the British $40
Of the story is yet to be told.
According to German accounts their
armored cruisers Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau and the light cruisers Nurn-
berg, Leipzig and Bremen escaped I'M
scatched, while the British cruiser
Monmouth was sunk, the cruiser Good
Hope put out Of action and the cruiser
Glasgow. with the transport Otranto'
sent scurrying for shelter In the neu-
trail port OF Talcahuano, where they
are bottled up by the Leipzig ana
Bremen.
II is certain that the Scharnhorst, the
Gneisenau and the Nurnberg arrived
safely at Valparaiso, though somewhat
the worse for their encounter win the
Britons.
One report has il that the Glasgow,
badly damaged, arrived in Coroner bay
while the Otranto escaped to Puerto
Montt 1t has been impossible to de-
termine the exact movements OF these
two vessels following the naval action
Despite the fact that the British
had only three fighting ships as
against FIVE of the Germans, the de-
cisiye defeat of Rear Admiral Ora
DOCK SQuduIOu hpPthAo w '"'N
duced profound impression. Inc
battle took place in heavy sea. Inc
Germans opened fire at ten kilometres
and for time all the British shots
fell short. Later when they got within
range their guns scored few, but
only n few, hits, and the casualties
among the German crews were said to
consist of some half dozen wounded.
The German fire is described as hav-
ing been excellent, though at the long
range it required four hundred hits
TO put the Britons out Of the fight.
The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
came from Australia, calling on Octo-
Der ii at Easter Island, where they
took on large quantities OF provisions.
British mail steamers in CHILEAN wat.
ers are sailing under the protection OF
CHILEAN torpedo boat destroyers.
A steam collier which has arrived
at VALPARAISO reports having seen
eight japanese warships at Easter
Island, in the Pacific, about $500 miles
west Of the Chilian coast. Easter
Island belongs to the republic OF
Chill.
The statement, issued through the
Official Press Bureau in the name of
the Secretary of the Admiralty, says:
"Rumors and reports have been re-
ceived at the Admiralty from various
sources of a naval battle having oc-
Cured off the CHILEAN coast. The Ad-
miralty has no official confirmation OF
this, and such accounts as it has re-
ceved rest admittedly on German EVIL
dence.
at is reported that the Scharnhorst,
Gneisenau Leipzig, Dresden and Nurn-
berg concentrated near Valparaiso, and
that an engagement was fought with a
portion of Rear Admiral Sir Christie
pher Cradock's squadron on Sunday
last. The German report asserts that
the Monmouth was sunk and the Good
Hope very severely damaged. The
Glasgow and the armed auxiliary cruis-
err Otranto broke off the action and es-
capped.
"The Admiralty cannot accept these
facts as accurate at present, Tor the
battleship Campus, which specially
was sent TO strengthen Rear Admiral
Cradock's squadron and which would
have given him adequate superiority,
is not mentioned in the report. Fur
Their, although five German ships con-
centrated in CHILEAN waters, only three
entered Valparaiso harbor.
at is possible, therefore, that when
the full account of the action is re-
ceived it may considerably modify the
German version. Effective measures
have been taken to deal with the
situation in any event"
From Tho Tribune Bureau
Washington, Nov. THE possibili-
ties that the German warships which
attacked the British feet off Coronel,
Chilli, yesterday, will be the first yes
sells of belgerent nations to use the
Panama Canal were pointed out by the
Acting Secretary of the Navy, Mr.
Roosevelt, to-day. His comment was
only a casual observation, made in
connection with discussion about the
waterway.
wonderfully clever" was the way
Mr.. Roosevelt characterized the Ger
man coup off the Gillian coast. ms
opinion was that the strategy OF the
attack had been planned months be-
fore, but, because of the Presidents
han on officers talking about the oper-
atoms of the belligerents, he would
not discuss the matter in any detail
"The German feet may use the Pan
ANA Canal" said Mr.. Roosevelt
San Francisco, Nov. 4.-lhe Victory
Of the German squadron over the Brit
ish off the coast of Chilli places a new
aspect on the naval situation in the
Pacific, it was pointed out by observers
ere to-day. For the present, at least,
il definitely shifts command OF south
ern waters to the Germans, and until
there has been readJustment OF
forces will make itself felt In the
movement of all cargoes between the
Pacific Coast and Europe.
Which way the Germans VIII elect
10 turn is speculation. but they are
free to move northward to the Pan.
anna Canal or to continue southwark
toward the Strait Of Magellan and the
route around the Horn.
AT the same time the trade lanes be-
tween San Francisco, Puget Sound and
the Orient, already heavily policed by
Japanese and British, are declared to
be cleared Of menace, and the allied
PATROLS can move against the enemy
with a definite objective.
The engagement accounts Tor all
German warships at large in the Pa
cifc and east OF the Suez except the
linden. whose repeated raids on Brit
ish commerce in the Indian Ocean have
been so costly.