SUPPRESSED NEWS?

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 6

SUPPRESSED NEWS?

, —♦- DREADNOUGHT AUDACIOUS SUNK BRITISH WARSHIP LOST OFF IRISH COAST CREW RESCUED BY THE OLYMPIC. London, December 5. "The Times," in a leading article, mentions that a piece of news with ,; which the whole world outside of ' Britain is acquainted, and which lias been published in American and Ger- • man newspapers, is still concealed by the Government, although the excellent reasons for suppression no longer . obtain. The Government, adds "The Times," has placed the • Press of this country in an exceedingly difficult position. It fears the Government has ceased to understand how to keep in touch with tho British' . public— ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) This message and an earlier reference to some mysterious occurrence have puzzled many newspaper readers. It is more-than probable that 1 the "piece of news" to wiich "The Times" refers is that contained in the following dispatch, published by the American Press .on November 14, and culled by us from the New York "Evening' Post", of that date:— ■■'■■■

Rumours of disaster to .the British super-dreadnought Audacious, which have persisted ever since the White Star liner Olympic, diverted from her course, arrived at Lough Swilly on October 29, are confirmed in mail advices received by the Associated Press from a point in Ireland. After a career of less than two years the Audacious, of' the King George .V class—third in tonnage and armament of His Majesty's, warships—lies at the bottom of the ocean off the north coast of Ireland. She was hit by a torpedo or disabled by a mine just before nine o'clock on. the_ morning of October 27. With the possible exception of one or two men, the whole crew of 800 officers and men was rescued by small boats from the Olympic. The rescue was made in a rough sea. through brilliant and daring seamanship on the part of the White Star crew. The battleship's cry for-, assistance was caught by the wireless operator of the Olympic, which was only about ten miles distant. The liner rushed forward at full speed, while her crew made ready for their work; Volunteers. were called for, and double tho number necessary to_ man the lifeboats responded. The' crippled battleship was reached a few. minutes after .nine o'clock, and beforo noon all but one hundred Df her men had been transferred. Bulkheads Give Way. '_ By that time the battleship had a de-. cidod list at the stern, whore just.below the waterline she had received her wound; Two of her engines were unharmed, but the one aft was put out of commission. '■'.., ' After taking off all the officers and crow who would leave their ship, Captain Haddock, of tho Olympic, turned his attention to. an attempt ; to save the warship. A cable was given her, but it snapped as it tightened. Meanwhile the bulkheads began to give way, and it was 6oon apparent that it would be impossible to tow the ship or keep her long, afloat'. ■ -;■'.. The cruiser Liverpool■' and several other warships which had come up, stood by. :Lato in the afternoon it was decided to : abandon the Audacious, and. the officers and men ivho bad remained aboard reluctantly left her. The flotilla of rescue'ships continued to stand by, however,.until nine o'clock that evening, w'lien a terrific explosion occurred on board, and the Audacious plunged stern - first and iii a moment

had disappeared. ■ : The explosion is .supposed to have been caused by shells set loose by the listing of'the battleship. A bit of armour plate torn from the sinking ship_struck the deck of "the Liverpool, cutting the legs from under a gunner. The man died in a short time. Olympio Had Been Warned. ' The Audacious met her fate twentyfive miles off the Irish coast, which the Olympic was skirting. The liner sailed from New York for Glasgow on October 21. She 'had! been warned that; there' ! .were. German 'mines.off Tory Waiid, and fear of. these mines was the official explanation when She unexpectedly put into Lough Swilly... The Olympic's passengers saw the Sash of the explosion and watched the mighty warrior sink. Then /their ship turned her prow toward Lough Swilly. Small craft cleared the route to make sure it was free of mines. From October 27 to November 2 the Olympic lay at Lough Swilly, during which time no one but naval officers were' allowed to board her. An immediate investigation of the lbss'-bJr the battleship was begun. Charles M. Schwab Was the only passenger who left the;ship before it docked at Belfast on: November 2. Vice-Admiral' Sir ' John R. Jellicoe, Commander of the Home Fleet, visited the .scene of .'"the. disaster .on November 1, and it was with: him that Mr. Schwab went to London, m ...-"■■ ; . v.- .-,•'• "Even officers' of the'White-Star Lino, were not permitted to board it'he Olympio at Lough Swilly, and .all" supplies were;taken aboard by men of the Navy.' •After the steamship entered ..BelfastHarbour one, of the waiters on board was arrested, charged.', with being a spy; and detained: for examination: " The Olympic carried about 300 passengers. Nearly 100 of these were English, reservists. ','All.' passengers other than English were denied passage • from Belfast to Liverpool, 1 and were compelled to go to Dublin, which is an open port, to take.boats'for; England. 'Secrecy regarding.'the;; loss /of the Audacious was, ; enjoined upon the crew and passengors- of' |th;e.'. Olympic,, who, were: urged to, refrain■' from discussing the-naval tragedy'which they had wit-' nessed, pending a complete.;investigation. , : . The crew, of .'the Audacious was. removed from the liner: as. soon as warships for (the purpose were available. High ( Sea Was Running. "The crew-.'of r&he 01 ympic was magnificent.',': ..said;one'- of "the.'passengers. "A warship's crew, 'could,not.have acted with, greater courage',and precision. Everything was in readiness for launch-; ihg the boats .i as -soon 'as"-the. Olympic was within .reach' of the :. Audacious.. -This''liner's'crew was not. daunted by the high sea which", was running.. Some of the boats were,;capsized; but the-. men wero. fit, and .1 understood that there was :only .one,life lost in the sea." . While in the vicinity of' Lough Swilly the passengers.•■■':'of the. Olympic saw many small boats sweeping 'for mines, though with what success !they could uot know. . ... ; - Many of the passengers expressed the belief that the sinking of the Audacious possibly saved the Olympic, which might otherwise have "entered. a mino field. Others held to the theory that a submarine torpedoed the. warship, basing their" opinion on the fact that sho was wounded astern rather than forward, which would more likely be the case if she had como in contact with a submerged explosive. ... Further reference'to tho subject was' made by .the New York "Post" in its' issue of November 16, in tho following luessago from Washington:—"The United States Government..,has -known' officially for two weeks of the destruction of tho British Dreadnought Audacious by a mine off the Irish- coast, but kept it' secri'i- .•<<■ Hie."request of the British Government, ... ■ .'" "Ambii&ifuuui' j ago.' cabled- to tho AjnArican. Government news of the sink.

ing of tho Audacious 4, within a day or two after she won't' down. Ho said ho had been officially .'informed of the .sinking, as well as'.of tho delay to the liner Olympic. ,;H:b ''gave no details, however, and merely,'stated that tho British Government . wanted tho loss kept secret 'for tho 'present. "Officials hero scrupulously guarded tho news. With the mail advices from Ireland and statements of eye-wit-nesses, however, tho fact that Ambassador Pago had reported on the incident .leaked out. In tho -same communication in which the loss of the Audacious was mentioned, Ambassador Pago transmitted a warning to American ships concerning the presence ' of mines off the Irish coast."