Show fOWl rOWl Owl Navy Explain lin Apparent Delay in Announcing Carrier L loss WASHINGTON Nov 3 1 INS INSA INS INS- A joint statement by th the navy de- de department department de department and the thc office of war in information information In- In formation formati n disclosed Tuesday that the latest American aircraft carrier carrier carrier car car- rier sunk in the Pacific was sent to the bottom by U. U S. S vessels after being damaged in the naval air battle with Japanese fleet units northeast of the Solomons The statement was signed by Secretary of the Navy Knox and Director of War Ir Information formation Elmer EImer Elmen El El- mer men Davis and attempted to ex- ex h plain the apparent delay in announcing announcing an an- announcing the loss of the carrier Davis in a statement last Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wed Wed- declared that all of major American vessels in the October 26 25 naval battle had been made public Subsequently loss of the carrier was disclosed It was recognized in Washington Washing Washing- ton from receipt of the first re reports reports re re- ports that it might be impossible to bring her the carrier to port and nd orders were issued to sink her if this could not be done the statement said But the endeavor was being made and it was not until Saturday Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day morning that the navy department department de- de de dc received reports which made it certain that the endeavor had been abandoned Loss of the ship was accordingly announced that night Saturday but it was not until Sunday morning morning morn morn- ing that positive information was received of the time the circumstances circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances and even the fact that she had been sent to the bottom by our own ships after it proved impossible impossible im- im impossible possible to salvage her With regard to the sinkin this aircraft carrier still fied fled the n navy vy department and a and i office of war information have havethe hav ha- the public as mU much h as they r la laas r ras as soon as they knew it the st at ment continued If th there re has hast I t tany any error it has been in the thedr di tion of telling the en enemy my of th the theof theof of a a. ship which he may poss pOS not have known to have been m than heavily damaged but lt not 1 the direction of withholding n from the American people |