Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-14

4, g..
London. Dec. 13.-The Germans
have conducted submarine offensive
of great magnitude, the complement
Of their offensive on land. in the hope
of forcing Great Britain to make
peace, but have failed signally in their
naval as well as in their military ef.
fort, according to high naval author
ity
When the Associated Press inquired
of this official today whether the anti
submarine war was going well and
what was the reason for the high rate
Of sinkings in the past three weeks,
the answer was:
FAILURE FOR GERMANY.
THE enemy has had more subma-
rines at work. He actually has been
attempting a submarine offensive OF
the greatest possible magnitude in an
effort to reinforce HIS offensive on
land. He Is trying to bring off q coup
which will incline us to peace.
"!4e has failed signa,ly ON sea asssse
Hand, saand he has had to pay heavy
price Our counter measures are
meeting with increased success and
the enemy will experience constantly
increasing difficulty In maintaining
his campaign.
MORE SHIPS NEEDED.
'If the shipbuilding efforts can be
properly spurred on in England and
America the allies will be able to say
within measurable time that the
tonnage is being launched at rate
exceeding the sinkings: and also. II
the naval measures continue to i'm
prove as it is reasonable to expect.
that U-boats are being sunk faster
than the Germans are able to build
them and the German U-boat fleet is
steadily dwindly away.
Much still depends on American
ship building but as encouragement
to those who are putting their efforts
into the work. it might be said with
now been able to handle the U-boat.
NEW TONNAGE INCREASES.
The counter measures OF the entente
naval forces. reinforced by the Amer.
lean naval contingents. are becoming
increasingly successful. it is declared
mage has nearly equalled the tonnage
sunk and the destruction of subma-
rines has reached a point closely ap.
preaching capacity OF the Germans for
turning out U-boats.
! GEDDEs is OPTIMISTIC.
THE submarine menace in my opin-
ion. is held but not yet mastered" said
Sir Eric Geddes. first lord OF the ad-
miralty, in the house Of commons to-
day. Our ship building is not yet re
placing our losses"
"Since November /. when | made
my last statement" Sir Eric contin-
ued. "the downward trend Of mer-
\ camille marine losses has continued
satisfactorily. The upward curve OF
merchant ship building and the up
1 ward curve of destruction Of enemy
submarines have been equally salts
| factory. | have no reason to doubt
that all three will continue satisfac-
tory"
DEMANDS LOYALTY.
! The first lord said that II the coun-
try would economize so as to restrict
I, the use of tonnage and get ships free
I for the more urgent uses-if the Eng.
lish would follow the tradition Of their
| race, and put forth all their power. re
! laxing no effort to defeat the subma
rine-then the war could end only In
victory.
F, "We must have ships. more ships.
still more ships and now want the
men TO build them" Sir Eric added.
} He said the plans were made and the
| steel had been obtained and that un-
less he mistook the spirit OF the coun-
/, try there would be adequate response
to the appeal for men.
| FOURTEEN VESSELS LOST.
| 4 slight increase in the losses ot
British merchantmen by mine or sub
| marine in the last week is noted in the
admiralty statement Fourteen vessels
Of more than $4,000 tons were sunk, as
we'll as seven under that tonnage.
/ The weeks figures make a gran,
total OF 1,l25 vessels sunk since the
(continued, re Page :. Col. 81