The Washington times., 1915-01-02
LOSS OF FORMIDABLE
DEPRESSES BRITAIN
Admiralty Gives Out Only Few
Details of Latest Naval
Disaster.
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Continued from First Page.)
The Bulwark. which was blown up last
month, and it is now taken as a mat
ter OF fact that both vessels were de-
stroyed by submarines and that evasive
theories about Internal. explosions and
submarine mines may as we'll be dis
carded.
AudaciOus Submarine Victim.
Although the admiralty has never an
rounced officially the loss Of tho Auda-
cious. it Is generally conceded here that
that vessel, too, was sunk by a sub
marine and this demonstrates that Ger
many can "whittle down" the British
navy both as to prc-drcadnaughts ard
super-dreadnanghts.
The admiralty still withholds details
OF the sinking Of the Formidable The
latest reports received today show that
Isl Of the Formldable's crew were
rescued. She had aboard about TO men.
There is a slight hope that additional
survivors may be brought in by boats,
but this hope is slight.
The official announcement concerning
the sinking Of the Formidable is evasive
in its explanations Of the disaster, leav-
ing the public to surmise that the ship
mfsht have been blown mp by a mine
There is much under surface irritation,
however. and criticism OF the British
submarine policy. The british subnla-
rines appear to be weak and ineffective
Official Statement Out.
In announcing that the Formidable is
no longer of the second line Of His
Majesty's battleships, the official in
formation bureau briefly says:
q tfloSh hin. FOrmf dah hla NOS l..
this morning in the channel. but wheth-
er by a mine or submarine is not yet
certain. Seventy-onc survivors have
been picked up by British light
cruiser, and 1t is possible that others
may have been rescued by other ycs-
sels''
WAS increased to ISL.
From the beginning Germany has ap-
parently worked along a definite policy
OF gradually reducing, by swift and un-
expected attack, the tremendous naval
odds against her. The total tonnage lost
the 2,.ooo-ton Audacious most nlod,r,
thing In battleships, being the prize
prey OF the Germans.
Although the official records indicate
that Great Britain has lost SO far ir
tho war lesser number Of ships thsn
Germany. the men, tonnage. and arma-
ncrt lost, is to the advantage Of Ger
many.
1t is also significant that the sever,
est losses of Great Britain have beer
felt in their home waters, where the
Germans take desperate chances &c
carry out their ''whittiing down. pro
gram.
Third Big Ship.
The Formidable makes the thir
big ship" to be lost by the British
and this is what dstresses anc
alarms all Great Britain today. 81
long as tho German attacks were con
tined to smaller ships the admiralt,
was able TO convince the public min'
that these losses were to be eXpectc,
and that they did not seriously impai
the efficiency of tho great navy o
Mnglan1. When the HulwarH AM
the Auda' iodS Went down gcnuiE
alarm set in. although the admiralt
IS yet to announce the sinking of tn
Audscious. Despite the lack of of
fetal confirmation. all England know
that the Audacious was sunk, AM
now comes the loss of the rmida BILE
While ueiinito figures ar" not oh
tainable. II is claimed that in tonnaE
Germany has lost only about uc-hal
OF the Tonnage sacrificed by EnEland
Germany is said to have lost abou
800 ofhCC"H aud men. whilc Grea
Britain has yufercd loss Of ahOu
500.