Evening journal., 1915-09-04
GERMANS lose MANY
SUBMARINE CRAFT
New Attitude Toward U. S.
Believed Caused by Sink
ing OF so U-boats
BRITISH NAVY ALONE
TRAPPED AZ RAIDERS

WASHINGTON. Sept A. Up to threcl
weeks ago the British Navy alone, with
out regard to the navies of France and
Italy. had sunk or captured AZ Gormanl
submarines. This information is con
tanned in a personal letter from Field
Marshal Sir John Freucn, commander
in-chief of the British army in Flanders.
The letter was written to one of the
best known officers in the American
army, who is an old friend Of Sir Johns.
This information would indicate that
Germany had lost m all sources at
least half hundred submarines since
the war began. Three weeks ago ante
dates the sinking of tho Arabic by a
German submarine, and the list, there
fore, does not include that boat. which
is reported to have been sunk the day
following. August 20. The French tor
pedoboat destroyers are known to have
accounted for several submarines. and
italy may have accounted for one or
| two.
The number mentioned in Sir John
French's letter is only two short of the
I full number of German submarines built
and building ON July l., 1914. as Off
cially announced by the Bureau of Naval
/ Intelligence of the Navy Department
That was one month before war was de
clared I'm "Thc Fleets at War" n work
published in England by Archibald
D tnrN HI... 4 aftl.
marine strength last fall was fixed al
SO. This would mean that nine under
sea boats have been launched sinc'
July /.
OF the boats numbered U-27 to U-3S.
the nine latest were described by
Hurd as of the highest known eff
cheney. each displacing 900 tons and
mounting guns as well as torpedo
tubes.
Since the outbreak Of the war
Germany has rushed the construction
of submarines. greatly increasing
their displacement and improving
their mechanism. Sucn a boat Is or
dinarily built in this country IN
about two years. but u is estimated
that by using new shifts of men
every three hours the craft can be fin
ished in nine months. Even this mini.
mum may have been reduced. II is
regarded here as certain that Ger.
many has launched many submarines
since the war in addition 10 those
building when the war commenced.
News that about so German sub
marines have been sunk goes far e
explain the complete change in tn
. German attitude toward this phase o
the war Recently editorials hav
appeared in German papers warnin
p the people that too much not he eN
pected from the submarine campaign
I These editorials seemed 10 pave IN
way in the public mind for the con
cessions decided on toward the Unite
States.
be- But is seems now that they wer
e also intended to soften the shock to b
- expected when German losses wer
b finally announced.
II is not recalled here. that Gel
. many ever published a complete lis
1 OF her U-boat losses. The loss Of part
cular vessels had been admitted. bu
- most of these had already been repor
ed lost from other sources. Tn
British Government has carefully r,
Trained from announcing the destru'
tion Of submarines TO prevent IN
Germans obtaining any clue to tn
! system OF defense that has bee
y inaugurated. But the bitterness Z
r German papers have expressed agains
b. the British methods of meeting IN
submarine campaign suggests tina
. German journalists had some inklin
of the facts.