Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-02
SERIOUS RUPTURE
over SUBMARINES
Admiral capelle Given the Lie
Before Main Committee
of Reichstag.
DIR. ERzBERGER ACCUSES HIM
Charges Falsifcation of British
Losses in Order to Quiet
German People.
DR. ERzBERGER ACCUSES HIM

WASHINGTON, September 1-Con-
fdentia1 Information of serious rup-
ture in the German government be-
tween the main bloc of the Reichstar
and the Admiralty authorities over tho
submarine warfare has reached wash
tngton. The situation, described as
critical, followed a violent denuncfa-
tion OF Admiral Won Capelle. OF the Ger
man Admiralty. by DR.. Matthias Erz-
berger. leader of the Centrists. before
the main committee of the Reichstar.
DR.. Erzbcrger is the man who brought
about tho recent CRISIS which resulted
In tho overthrow OF Bethmann-Ho Hollwer
as Chancellor and led to an imperial
rescript promising the characterization
OF the Prussian electoral system. He
Is one of the leading peace workers in
Germany.
ONLY ONE EVIDENCE
OF GROWING UNREST
The outburst against Capelle is only
ono evidence OF the growing unrest
among the German masses. The Ad-
mJr2lty chief was accused of falsifyfng
ngures or enemy tonnage losses, in or
der to keep down the wrath Of the Ger
mans. which would have overwhelmed
the men who promised them victory
through the submarine and then failed
to make good.
The dispatches containing details of the
clash between Erzbereer and Capelle
were sent by American special agents
They were received in administration
circles several days ago, but no hint
Of them has been permitted to be made
public.
According to excerpts obtained to-
day. DR.. Erzberger, during a discussion
of the submarine situation. fatty ac-
cused Admiral Won Capelle of falsifyinE
and defied him to deny 1t. Capelle was
unable to make a satisfactory answer
Nor could he give the method by which
the figures had been arrived at showing
a large destruction of English tonnage
which he had presented to the main
committee.
xanERSRH DESCRIBES S:s.Ss S:s.sSs
&C., ,.,. ,,.s.s, slEIAoD OF AQMKAL
tssErfbefter then described the9mietHod
OF the admiral in drawing up figures
OF British losses for dissemination to
tho public. He declared they were
ridiculous and a plain falsehood.".
When any ship was sunk. he said, the
admiralty had been in the habit Of
giving. not the registered tonnage Of
the ship, but the dead weight and in
addition adding the weight of the cargo
to the tonnage OF the ship. In other
words. II a 3,000-ton ship were sunk
and It carried 1000 tons of cargo the
admiralty would count 1t 5000 or more
tons, of shipping destroyed. In addi-
ton. Ezberger charged that the ad-
miralty. to make tho people believe
heavy inroads were being made into
the English mercantile feet, was list
Ing all tonnage destroyed as British.
No matter whether a torpedoed ship
was French. Italian. American or even
neutral. 1t was added to the British
tonnage lost.
a This. information and similar other
dispatches of growing distrust and dis
turbances against the German military
and naval leaders is said to have played
a large part in determining the atti-
tude of President Wilson on the Popes
peace proposals.
officials here to-day expressed the be-
lief that the estimate Of 2.5oJ.ooo tons
as the amount of shipping which would
restricted submarine warfare by Ger
many was in consonance with figures
50 far at hand.
IN SHARP CONTRAST
WITH GERMAN BOAST
This is in contrast with the German
boast that 100000 to 100000 tons
month would be destroyed. It was
pointed out at the Navy Department
to-day that the losses through sub
marines have been cut in half since
March. American destroyer5 have
played great part in this resuit, it
was declared, the addition Of a large
squadron Of the American ships to the
allied fleets already In tho war zone
having operated To keep down the
depredations of the undersea raiders
to which the destroyer is the natural
enemy.
Figures reaching here indicate that
Germany is producing two and one
half to three submarines week. and
that she has more than $50 in active
service. Most of them arc Of the 900
ton standardized type.