Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-21

Continued from buEc Ono
tor Raglan and n small monitor, the
M.2S.
The GoCbrn and Brcslau-the names
by which the two Turkish cruisers are
still most widely known were last re.
ported lying near Constantinoplc more
or less disabled after their highly event.
fu career in the present war. Their
appearance at the mouth Of ne Darda.
ucllcs is in the nature Of a sensation,
and probably means that they at.
tcmptcd a raid on the Allied naval
forces blOCkading the straits The
brief dispatch above may he only the
first word In one Of the most startling
naval stories ut the war.
Those who have followed the luck of
the Goeben through the war since she
took refuge in the DardanollcS with
the Breslau in 1914 and was incor.
poratCd in the Turkish navy will be
tempted 70 the conclusion that the
Turks have been the first to discover
the unsuitable" ship. The Gocben in
their hands has been punCturcd by
Russian shells i'm the Black Sea,
damaged by mines, run ashore by
her blunderug crew, tOrpcdOCd
10y submarines at her anchorage off
Coustantinoplc and hit by Brit
ish airmcu; several times she has
been only saved from laundering by
being patched UP with cement, and
now. apparently after rehabilitation by
the Germans, she has faced a British
fleet, and when her sister ship, the
Brcslau. receives a death blow, the
Gucben has enough good luck remain.
ing To escape with Bleaching.
The GochCn, battle cruiser Of the
/ dreadnought type, and the Rrcslau a
/ third-ClaSs cruiser. We're lying at Mes.
/ sina when the war began. but sue.
/ ccedcd In cluding the Allied fleets m
the Mediterranean and escaping TO
Turkish waters early I'm August. 1911.
/ The British Government Immediately
| protested against the German war.
| ships being accorded refuge and
/ Turkey promised that they would he
/ intcrncd and placed out Of commits,
/ sion until the end Of the war. Later,
. however, II was announced that TuT.
key had purchased and renamed the
cruisers.
Shortly uftcrward Turkey entered
the war, and since the activities Of
both the Goeben and BrCslau i'm the
. Dardancllcs, at the Black Sea entrance
to the BOsporuS and in the Black
Sea along the Turkish Asiatic, the
Russian and the Rumanian coasts
have brought them fame for in.
trcpidity second not even to German
sea wolves like the Dresden, SCcadler
and the karlsruhe.
The GOCbcn, $4,000 tons. carried
when she passed into Turkish hands
ten l1.inCh, twelve 6.iuch and twelve
24-pOunder guns, besides torpedo
tubes. She had i1.inCh armor and
a speed Of twcnty-cight knots. The
Breslau, 1850 tons, had the same speed
but of course carried much smaller
guns
Much criticism Of British and Frcnc,
naval commands has been expressed
over their failure 20 prevent the Goebcu
and Breslau from getting out Of the
Straits of Messina at the outbreak Of the
war and reaching a port Of safety m
Turkey In the French Chamber Of
Deputies last Thursday Admiral Bic,
naimc announced that he intended I.
demand the Impeachment az N. Augag-
ncur former Minister Of Marine. for fail
ing in his duty to take steps against All
. mlral Castor Reu de la Lapetrere. who's,
alleged failure to obey orders resulted
In the Gocbcu and Brcslau reaching IN,
Dardauclles