Jan.
So far as concerns the questi whether H.M.S. Audacious is still afloat or not—that is up to the time when the last telegrams were despatched from London, and we trust no accident has befallen the great battleship since then—there is, of course, no mystery. Had the Admiralty made no statement at all bearing on the matter, it is just possible that it might have been "sitting on' the news of the disaster, although the promptitude with which all British naval reverses, however disheartening, have been announced renders even this theory highly improbable. But since October 27, on which all reports are agreed as the date of the alleged sinking of the Audacious in Lough Swilly, we have had repeated und an-photic denials by the Admiralty of any truth whatsoever in Ger-rman reports of losses to the British Navy, battleships or others, except such as have been announced from London. Here then is the mystery. On November 28 the ''Scientific American,"" which is not a to lend itself to be easily lcodwinked, published 2 photograph, of H.M.S. Audacious, and another of a large vessel, certainly similar to the Audacious, in the act of sinking. underneath which is printed. "This view, taken from the deck of the Olympic, shows her boats assisting in the rescue of the copyright Internatio News Service," and there is s long article explaining how the Audacious came to be off the north coast of Treland, and the reasons for believing that she was 61 sunk by a submarine but by wat it is a remarkably clever striking a mine. take and an unusually deep ruse So much for photography. On on the part of the German Presa the other hand, the "New York 4sureau, und that the Internation-Times," a paper second to none al News Service, which supplied in the world for carefulness as to the photograph to newspapers, the accuracy of its news, pub-has been victimized. Years before lished on November 17 an inter-the marvels of cinsmatogr.ph con-view with Dr. J. C. H. Beaumont, juring became as common as they surgeon on board the Olympic. are now, every amateur photo-who emphatically denied that 4tapher knew the absurdity of the that ship had ever witnessed the saying that "photography cannot sinking of the Audacious or taken lie." Anybody could get photo-part in the saving of her crew. graphs of the Audacious, and the The Olympic, which had left New rest of the fake would be easy. York on October 21 bound for Moreover, the German Press Greenock, put into Lough Swilly Bureau had far more to gain than instead of proceeding direct to the mere spreading of as report Greenock, on October 28, in con-that Britain had lost a battleship. sequence of wireless messages The crew were, in any case, warning the commander supposed to have been snyed, and mines. On the morning of the loss of the ship would be made October 29 Dr. Beaumont left the ood, and more than good, before ship, having been transferred to the end of the year. But if the the Baltic." The Olympic pro-German Press Bureau could sully ceeded to Belfast where she was the unblemished reputation of the laid up on November 3, the crew Government for speaking of 900, excepting some officers the truth, it would achieve a very and engineers, being paid off and "rear success. Long before Octo-sent home to Liverpool. Actually ber 27 it had been made abund-at the time the Olympic was sup-antly plain to all the world that posed to have seen the Audacious no German statement is worth sink she was about 600 miles the breath that voices it or the from Lough Swilly. "I cannot paper on which it is printed. If, say whether the Audacious was then, people's confidence in Bri-blown up by a mine or torpedoed tish official statements could once off the coast of Ireland," said Dr. be shaken, and therewith their Beaumont, "but I can vouch for belief in British démentis of the fact that neither the pas-German falsehood, something sengers nor crew of the Olympic might be done to rehabilitate Ger-saw or heard anything of such a many's ruined character for disaster.' Now it is out of the veracity. In fact, when it faked question for those who maintain that photograph of the Audacious, that the Audacious was sunk to the German Press Bureau aimed shift the ground of their charge. at something higher and infinite-They have taken their stand upon ly more difficult" to acquire than the morning of October 27, ana any battleships—n reputation for Lough Swilly, as the time and speaking the truth. But truth, place of the disaster, and have. proverbially, lies hidden deep, too with a photograph, subpanaed Aeep now for Germany ever to the Olympic as a witness, not-bring it to light—ae deep indeed withstanding her alibi of 600 the bottom of Lough Swilly. miles. Again, we may dismiss, with apologies for even suggest. ing it, any idea that Dr. Be:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.