ut by the German authorities are admitted to have been
understated "for military reasons." Only time can tell us whether the
world has the whole truth even now. But taking the situation as it
appears from the official statements on both sides the losses are as
follows:

BRITISH: GERMAN:

_Battleships_ _Battleships_
None One

_Battle Cruisers_ _Battle Cruisers_
Three One

_Armored Cruisers_ _Armored Cruisers_
Three None

_Light Cruisers_ _Light Cruisers_
None Four

_Destroyers_ _Destroyers_
Eight Five

It is certain that the British losses as here given are substantially
correct. It is possible, as has been said, that the German losses are
much understated. British officers and seamen claim to have actually
seen several large German ships blow up, and they are probably quite
honest in these claims. They may be right. But it is only necessary to
picture to one's self the conditions by which all observers were
surrounded while the appalling inferno of the battle was at its height
to understand how hopelessly unreliable must be the testimony of
participants as to what they saw and heard. Four or five 15-inch
shells striking simultaneously against the armor of a battleship and
exploding with a great burst of flame and smoke might well suggest to
an eager and excited observer the total destruction of the ship. And
an error here would be all the easier when to the confusion of battle
was added the obscurity of darkness and of fog.

No doubt the time will come when we shall know, if not the full truth,
at least enough to justify a conclusion as to the comparative losses.
Until that time comes, we may accept the view that, measured by the
narrow standard of ships and lives lost, the Germans had the
advantage. This may be true, and yet it may be also true that the real
victory was with the British, since they may have bought with their
losses, great as these were, that for which they could well afford to
pay an even higher price.

According to the statement of Admiral Jellicoe, the British fleet has
for some months past made a practice of sweeping the North Sea from
time to time with practically its whole force of fighting ships, with
a view to discouraging raids by the German fleet, and in the hope of
meeting any force which might, whether for raiding or