The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-02-05
1T IS TO BLOCKADE.
GERMANY ASSERTS
Continued. from First Page)

war to the quickest possible end. At
the largely attended meeting of the
ways and means committee Of the
reichstag, at which the chancellor an
nounced the mQmentous DECISION of
the central powers, there was little
flourish of trumpets, although the
events of the day may rank in his
torical Importance with the 1st and
4th of August, 1914.
What Germany Expects to Do
Expectations expressed in unoffi-
cial circles here that as result of the
unrestricted submarine campaign, the
amount of tonnage sunk each month
can be increased to about 100000
tons, are based on figures showing the
total amount of British tonnage,
which is estimated at 100000 to
100000 tons. This is believed here
to be the. gross registered tonnage
upon which England can count for the
import of necessary supplies, wheat
ores, munitions, etc, and for the ex-
port OF coal to her allies.
1t is asserted that grain shipments
from Australia to England are making
steadily increased demands upon this
tonnage which also must transport
from Denmark 90 per cent of Eng
lands butter supply and from Hol-
land virtually all of her margarine
supply Any considerable reduction
of this tonnage, it is claimed, would
limit England's supply of breadstuffs
so critically as to force peace within
a few months.
On the other hand, if the United
States should be drawn into the war,
these unofficial critics forsee a pro-
longation of the war and, as a con-
clusion, Europe completely exhausted
and America weakened, while ia
pans military strength, they assert
virtually would be unimpaired, and
her financial resources vastly increas-
ed.
Captain Persius, writing in The
| Tageblatt, throws a dash of cold
water upon such reasoners, which in.
clude some of his colleagues among
the national writer's, by declaring that
British tonnage undoubtedly will be
greatly increased during the war by
| the building of new bottoms. He also
warns them against making too op.
timistic estimates of the prospective
achievements of German submarines
and against regarding too lightly the
probable conference.-the upon which
the British admiralty is undoubtedl,
zealously Working.
No Consideration FOR Aliens
The semi-official Cologne Gazette
declares that an adverse American
reply to Germany's submarine mott
6cation will not change Germany
intention.
eve cannot for a second time
says the newspaper, have any con
sideration for alien interests. Oul
honor and existence are too greatly
threatened by the new war declared
by the entente"
The Frankfurter Zeitung discusses
the submarine program without en-.
thusiasm. 1t says the few men in high
places who have taken the decision
are answerable before their own PEG.
pie and before history.
"Oly the most cogent and COMPEL
ing reasons" says the newspaper
"can have induced the emperor and
DR.. Won Bethman-Hollweg to sane
ton the measure. Doubtless there
have been negotiations between Ber-
lin and Washington, but we are ig-
norant of their results. 1t cannot be
imagined, however, that there can be
any new yielding to American pro-
testations and it therefore must be
assumed that the imperial authorities
are firmly convinced German strength
will be able to hold its own against an
onset of the whole world. Whatever
America may decide, the German peo-
pie confront the foe fearlessly."