The sun., 1917-09-12
NAVY SINKS 4
U-B0AT;;CREEL
SINKS 5 MORE
CensOr's Man, Ignoring Cor
rected Copy, Announces
Another Victory.
TWO STEAMERS LOST
Attack Was Made on Scptem-
ber 5 Near the Coast
of France.
Special Despafch to THn SuS.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-THE Navy
Department announced another victory
over German submarines to-day which.
in point of its diminishing proportions
as the facts became known, out t-Creeled
the famous Creel elaboration of the en-
counter of Pershing's troopships with
submarines ''in force"
This morning at 10: 40 the Navy De-
partment reported through its represent
tative on the Committee OF Public In
formation that the Westwego, a steamer
OF the Union Petroleum Steamship Com
pany OF Philadelphia. with several other
ships on September S had beaten of an
attack Of six submarines near the French
coast with the result that two Of the
steamships were sunk and probably all
of the submarines lost"
Correction Comes Late.
This afternoon at 2:3O when the
thrilling victory" had been blazoned in
extra editions, came a correction from
Secretary Daniels. Two ships had been
sunk. but instead of six submarines be-
ing destroyed only one was thought TO
have been sent down and that not GER
tainly. The explanation OF Secretary
Daniels follows:
My attention has just been called
!. 30 a serious error made In transcrib-
ing the report of the attack made on
the Westwego and other vessels.
gave the report to the press this morn
Ing exactly as II was presented to me,
stating that probably all OF the sub
marines were lost"
The cahiegram. md now. stated
that "one Of the submarines was prob
ably lost
The original statement as given to
the press said:
The Navy Department has received
a report from Paris which states that
the steamer weetwego reports on Sep
tember 8 tina, while cruising with
several other ships II was attacked
by massed force OF six submarines
OF the coast Of France on September s.
the result OF this attack being that
two OF the steamers attacked were
sunk and probably all the submarines
! were lost
How the error aro>. was explained by
an official OF the Navy Department. The
despatch containing the report or tns
attack was correctly decoded in the OF
fce OF Naval Operations. but in trans
, cribing the message a clerk in the off1ct
sank the extra five submarines. A copy
OF the despatch had barely reached th'
Office OF Secretary Daniels to be given tC
+ the press when the error was discovered
by the clerk. a correct copy immc
diately was prepared and followed the
other into MIR. panelss ONCE.
! Both copies were given into the hand.
OF the Navy Departments representa-
! tive on the Committee OF Public Infor
nation lie. for some reason not ap
parent, was ignorant of the fact that the
/ second copy was correction OF tho
first. and was not apprised OF this I'M
portant fact, according to explanation
/ made
: The regrcttable result was that whei
i the Creel man rushed into tho mimeo
graph room to have announcements mad,
/ for the press he hH nded the operator tn,
! first copy, which gave the American pub
, lie news of another victory over German
submarines.
! Lost ships Probably known.
! The two merchant ships sunk ar.
supposed to have been the British
| frcighter Wentworth commanded by
Capt Crone, and the French freightei
kOuang-Si commanded by Capt. Foggi
which were reported in another des
, patch to have been sunk on the rrencr
coast September :.
! The Navy Department has cabled fol
! additional facts Of the fight. The re
! port received to-day came from Pari.
and it Is assumed that the Westwegc
! reached France after the fight but III,
| names and nationality OF the ships los
are not known certainly. From the fac
that the Weslwego was cruising in com
| pany with other merchant craft 1t |,
assumed here that the fleet was under
convoy of naval vessels. probably de
! stroyers.
! The Wcstwego is an armed vessel. b,
there was nothing To tell II the othcl
! ships also were armed. The fact tha
the submarines attacked the mcrchan
fleet in force led to tho conclusion tha
| the German commanders erroncousl,
thought that they had to deal Will
| frnnn shlns Wifh IA rr1A silnnlN shins