The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-12
CT RNAN SDnERtITN SAYS
FIVE TtRfII~H SHIPS sunk

@erltn. Wa Sayvljlc Fch lit
vss a aouncpa TODAY hv the admir-
"lty that = German submarine sank
i've pnNnowu British steamers Of al
together t4.0Na ts,g~ ip tho German
sea North seal
Senu -ofiCa! reports state that ON
February $ alone eo,ha0 tons werc
sent TO the bottom bv German t-hoats
IN he barred zone"
dispatch from The Hague says
that the following day February q
was record day for the submarine
warfare. since no less than thirty-five
vessels were sunk Reports from
S'hristiana state that on that dan the
C-hoats destroyed SO oo0 tons.
The German press and public ia
watching with an almost teVerish
eagerness the passage OF unrestricted
U-boat warfare. On all hands the
greatest optimism is voiced and the
prediction is general that the cam
paign will force England to her knees
Naval experts emphasize that the
real result OF the new warfare does
not lie in the tonnage actually de-
stroyed. but in the tonnage kept off
the seas on account Of it,
Claim Traffic Hating.
In this connection German news
papers are pointing out with uncon
cealed satisfaction that maritime
traffic between the allies and Euro
pean neutrais has come virtually to a
standstill, Not single ship Is leaviuc
for England from Holland. Sweden
Norway or Denmark Traffic between
south American republics and Spain
on the one hand and England and
France on the other is reported to
be equally paraiyged
One submarine according 70 Official
information given out late tonight has
reported from sea that II already has
sunk vessels aggregating $1,000 tons.
Another submarine reports having
sunk thus far seven steamers and
three sailing ships
The sinking OF the Danish steamer
Lars kruse. Belgian relief vessel
loaded with corn. was semi officially
l!savowed here today. The Overseas
News agency gave out this statement:
"A ompetent authority states ac-
cording to orders given to German
submarines II IL out of the question
that German T-hoat without warm
ing torpedoed Danish steamer or
any other ship with the signs of the
Belgian Relief committee in a course
west OF the line Dover-Catais. There
fore il IL most probable that the lost
Lars kruse. reported in the foreign
press as havtn. sunk on February
~ Il consequence of m explosion west
of the channel struck mine ana
was not torpedoed.
Prevent American los. of Life.
The belief is growing stronger and
stronger here that a widening of tho
breach between GermCnv and the
J-ptted States win he averted There
appears to exist well defined con
yiction in responsible circles here THAT
the German t'-boat commanders have
explicit orders from the admiralty.
strict enforcement of which virtually
nrecludes the possibility of the loss
Of American life and of unjustined
attack on American shipping
Military and naval experts are in
dulging in much speculation as Ii
what effect the new U-boat campaign
will have upon the allied prenarations
for the spring offensive H. ''e west.
II Is generally recognized fore
gone conclusion that the a~ ton to
cripple allied shipments - ,upplies
and ammunition to be accumulated
behind the lines in Northern France
and Belgium for a resumption within
few months for the big push was
the principal motive that actuated un-
restricted. u-hoat warfare. II is also
known that the naval staff figures
upon being able seriously to cripple