The Sentinel=record., 1915-02-25
THIS IS NUMBER OF VESSELS LOST SINCE GERMANY DE-
 CLEARED HER BLOCKADE.
THREE WERE SUNK BY MINES
The Steamers Sunk by the subma- rines Were Small, Slow Moving Vessels--TWo German Submarines Are Mssing-Another Sunk

London, Feb 24--10:32 D. m.-The German blockade of the British Isles has been in effect for a week with the result that so far as is known two Norwegian, one French and five Brit ish steamers lave been sunk or tor pedoed by submarines. with the sur prising'y small loss ot four lives. Two of these steamers, the Belridge and the Dinoral, succeeded in reach ing port.
 On the other side Of the account II is reported that two German subma- rine5 are missing and that third had been hit and possibly sunk by French destroyer
 Besides the vessels which fell vic. tins 10 the submarines two Ameri- can and one Norwegian steamer have been sunk by mines in the North sea and the Swedish steamer Specia and one or two British steamers are over due and it is feared have been los wit htheir crews.
 In almost every case the steamer sunk by the submarines was a small and slow vessel and al least three of them were caught while at anchor or while they were barely under way This, with the failure of submarine to hit a fast cross-clanne steamer at which it fired torpedo apparently proves to the satisfaction of British naval writers that the steamers with modern speed, which observe obvious precautions can invariably escape the underwater craft and such vessels are continuing to cross the seas.
 The blockade, however has had tAe effect of increasing insurance rates and some neutral owners are keeping their ships in neutral waters.
 With conditions such as these the public both in England and neuTa countries are naturally curious as to the latest proposal of the American government to Great Britain and Ger many of which little has been allowed to leak out either in London or Berlin and also as to what the allies reply ito the German blockade win be, an other matter in which secrecy is being maintained.
 In addition to the lose of the mer- chautmen, the British admiralty has been impelled to give up hope for the armed steamer Clan MacNaughton, which has not been heard from since February 2. and which it is believed went down as did another armed merchantmen. the ViEnor, during the storms which prevailed early in the month. The Clan MacNaughton car ried crew of 2S0 men, composed largely of royal naval reserve men. 2o of whom belonged to New Fonndland The admiralty also reported tonight ,.he loss of three airmeu of the forty who recently carried out a raid on the German positions along the Belgian coast
 Nothing further has been heard oi the naval operations il the Darda nc les. which were interrupted by un favorable weather conditions, but t is understood that the intention is to continue all efforts to destroy the forts which line the straits. Other wise the Turks. who have been se- Nerely handled in the Caucasus Egypt and Mesopotamia, are being permitted to rest, while preparations are beins made by the allies for a powerful at tack against them
 A wireless report from Berlin says that further obstacles have arisen to prevent the invasion of Russia and this would seem to confirm reports from Petrograd that the Russians are making a successful stand against the invaders along their fortress line on the northern rivers. The Rus sians, from all accounts, are also holding back the Austrians in Buko' wina. and it is stated in an official dispatch that they have reoccupied the important railway center of Stanislau.
 There has been little or no change in the Carpathians, where fighting of the most severe character has been going on for nearly two months
 With regard to the western arena the region around Perthes. where the French have been making a long sus- tained effort to advance. and the Vos- ges are apparently the only eenters of