The Washington herald., 1918-07-12
GERMAN NAVY
HAS WARSHIPS
OF RUSSIANS
U. S. Officials Believe Black
and Baltic Sea Fleets
in Hun Control.

The German navy has practically
absorbed the Baltic and Black Seas
fleets OF Russia. IL reports to the
allied naval authorities. as yet un-
confirmed. are true.
Although officials at the Navy De
partment declared yesterday after.
noon that they have little II any
doubt as to the reliability Of the in
formation received, every effort Is be
ing made to get the exact fact
The effect OF the coup. 1t was ex.
plained, would be to Increase tn,
fighting strength OF the Kaiser's navy
approximately 5 per cent With ths
additions Of units now understood tc
be building In German yards, il wouIS
make the German force not onI,
larger that the American navy as n
stands today. but larger than oul
strength would be under the tremend.
Gus three years building program
adopted by Congress in 1916.
U. s. Navy Ready.
At that, the Office OF Naval opers.
NNOaA1 ~ II DN hlONu lnf
American navy is willing to try odd,
with the German fleet any time h
cares to come out Of its hiding place
At the outbreak Of the war. Russia,
navy. including ships built and build
ing. and excluding scouts. destroyers
gunboats and submarines. consiste,
Of IA battleships and 10 arrnore,
cruisers. OF the battleships sever
were built after the Russo-Japanes,
war, and, on the basis of Russia
sorry experience in that conflict, Wer,
planned along the most modern lines
carrying batteries of Is ls-fnch guns
The finist Of ships, however wer.
four battle-cruisers which were stiI
under construction at the time thai
Russia collapsed as a belliEerent
They were building at Helsingferds a
the head Of the Baltic sea, and wer,
presumably taken over by the Ger,
mans when the latter invaded Fin,
land.
These battie-cruisers were the Ma,
varin, Beredine. Ismail and Kfnburn
all Of type and the latest word in
battle-cruiser design when their keel,
were laid. The plans called for YES,
ses OF 2,Oo tons each. mounting bat,
teries of twelve fourteen-inch gun,
each and calling for a speed OF TWEEN,
ty-five knots.
Taken to Baltic. Probably.
The latest available information a,
TO the Baltic Fleet gave il. in addition
to the battleships and battle cruisers
seven armered cruisers, fifteen des,
troyers and thirty-one submarines.
Just before the Russians withdrew
from the war. a great many of tn,
destroyers and submarines were oper
ating along the northern coast o.
Norway, guarding the approach to tn,
harbor of Murmansk. the year rounS
open port where British, French anC
American marines are now ashor,
guarding allied supplies. Since theT
these destroyers and submarines hav,
completely disappeared. Search Of th'
White Sea has shown that none o.
them are there. The assumption
among the allied naval authorities &
that, under cover of fogs and dark
ness, the destroyers were brough
down along the Norwegian coast int
the North Sea and through to the Bal
tic, the submarines travelling unde
the surface,
Reports to the Navy Department
| were from It's agents IN neutra
countries are to the effect that de
spite the great concentration Of tn
German naval yards in the work o
building submarines, work has pro
ceeded likewise on the construction
of fast battle cruisers. in which tn
German feet designers have special
! lied.
Meanwhile the Navy Department
| gives hearty Endorsement to the as
surances of Sir Eric Geddes, frs
lord of the British Admiralty. tina
the submarine menace was now un
der control, that fewer of the un
dersea craft are operating tina
formerly. and that the dept
charge" has turned the hunters int
the hunted.
1--WE have every reason TO accer
what Sir Eric says is correct" sal
Admiral Benson. chief OF naval or
erations, first, because being o
the scene, he is in position to gt
accurate reports, and also becaus
he is a conservative man and a
ways careful in his statements