The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-04
WAR SECRECY
KEEPS NAVIES'
RANK In DOUBT
Available Data Indicate Brit
ish, German and Ameri-
can Rating In
changed.
ENGLAND'S FORCE ABOUT
DOUBLE THE KAISER'S

wAsHiNGro>. jan Naval experts
In Washington have thrown ~ their
hands In de pair over the TASK of calcu-
lating officially the present relative
strength Of the British. German and
United States na,.cs. bu, approximate
figures Indicate that Nv total Uirship tom
mage the British notwithstanding their
losses. are more than twice ~ strong as
tho Germans, " aiic la Oattloship tonnage
the Germans have q trific moro than half
- mucn as the British navy
The relative strength OF the United
states has hardly boon affected one way
or the other by the war fsVsinpments.
This country ranked as the third naval
Power before tn. war and is still in third
place.
Though the naval losses on each side
are believed TO he fully known there are
practically no data obta!uable as TO what
additions Great Britain and Germany
have made TO their nlvies since the out
break Of the war Ave months ago.
In the opinion Of the officers here Great
Britain In spite " hcr losses IL now e
good deal stronger OF the sea than sho
was on August I. when the war began
mis- Is duo to the rapid completion OF
vessels under construction and the taking
over OF vessels building In England for
foreign navies
Germany is also known 20 have rapidly
completed construction Of vessels. but
definite information OF the extent n the
additions to either navy u unobtainable
As the result the Navy Department has
abandoned all attempt 10 issue the Gus
tomary offical tables comparing the
navies Of the world until the war II over.
The Basis for Comparison.
The figures for construction. built and
building n year ago seem to afford the
hest obtaina BILE basis for comparison Of
the German and British strength Ac-
cording to these figures. and not consider
ing any losses. Germany would now have
a total warship tonnage OF l,22s, eos.
while that of Great Britain would be
1851. 2st. or slightly more than twice
that Of Germany
Tho losses on each side. however. have
been considerable. Without including
small vessels belonging to Germany which
have been informed or the German battle
cruisers Goeben and Breslau, which are in
the war. but confined to action with the
Turkish fleet Germany has lost total
NJ 103s40 tons. according to the best
obtainable information.
England, on the other hand. has lost
l73,145 tons, or 20 per cent. more than
have the Germans. Deducting these
losses the present tonnage Of both sides
would appear 10 be about 2.iSl,l5s for
Great Britain and l,l2i,36s for Germany.
Naval strength today. however, ~
largely measured IN baStleship strength.
Assuming that battleships under constitute
ton q year ago have been completed. the
probable British battlcship strength, ir-
respective of losses would be now L.
3lO235 tons On the same basis tho
German battleship strength would be 500
100 tons. or a trihe more than half tina
of the British
Great Britain. however has lost th'~s
battleships-one dreadnought tho Auda-
cious. of $4,000 tons and two pre-dread-
nought battleships the Formidable and
Bulwark, of $1,000 tons each, making a
total loss In battlcships Of $4,000 tons.