The Washington times., 1917-05-03
U-BOATS CAN'T WIN WAR,
ASSERTS NORTHCLFFE
Tonnage Loss Serious, However,
U.S.. Soon viii Know Figures.
by ED l.. KEEN.


LONDON, May 3.-America is get
ting the full and complete facts of
every news feature of the British end
OF the war Developments, except the
actual figures of submarine losses
and may expect to receive them very
soon. The submarine menace Is the
strongest card Germany has played,
but it will never win the war.
The foregoing Is on authority Of the
man whose prophecies and statements
on the war have come to carry more
weight than those of any other hgure
in the allied countries-Lord North
cliffe.
NorthcIiffe Is probably the sauarest
facer Of facts in England, He never
lodges. Today a correspondent put
squarely up to him the proposition
of the gathering doubt and distrust In
America resulting from belief that
British offieialdom has not been
frank with America in its statements
of submarine losses-and possibly has
not told the full truth regarding the
allies successes on the west front.
"In regard to the loss OF tonnage
by submarines" said Lord North
ciiffe, "there is no doubt that the fig
uIes are serious. The government
does not prevent our newspapers from
saying so. The government will, !
believe, very soon publish the full
facts and figures as soon as they can
arrange the matter with our French
and italian allies.
Submarines Can't Win War.
81 do not hesitate to say in my
newspapers that the submarine men,
ace is the greatest difficulty we have
had SO far, but to pretend that the
war can be won by the submarine IL
preposterous.
"certainly there can be no COM
plant of lack of frankness or of over
censorship In the reports of the press
association correspondents at the
British front. In the early part OF
the war, I was one of the censorshtp's 8
seyerest critics. But am convinced
that the present daily reports OF the
progress of the British advance as
published here and in the United
States are the frankest statements
made by any OF the belligerents-
"The very fact that the Germans
are concealing their huge losses In
men and our methodical capture OF
their underground forts In the battles
around Arras should convince Ameri-
cans that our successes have been SO
great as 10 cause them to hide their
Colossal losses in dead, wounded, pris-
oners. guns. and other booty. When
thev are winning the Germans are
frankness itself. Today they are hid
ing even such facts as the capture of
Bagdad, which they have not even al
lowed TO be published oy the TURKS
Their reports OF our series OF Bag
dad and Mesopotamian victories
which have put the proposed berIh-
Bagdad proposition out OF action are
merely satires on the truth.
Struggle To BE Long One.
.srh. whole situation OF the war is
,o,. "a Io,s the PrussIans-
'"a' :" =, r-on-
OWING 10 'he'i
aration, were successIul III 'a'n
areas, though they lost all their Colo
nies and had their ships driven from
the seas. Last year was ths year OF
nnai prepsratIoh S.hisd tbst
during lSlo lhe nsnI ,'haD nsithsr
- saar,s abIe TO null the other over
the line. Today Turkey is on its last
legs. Austria and Hungary are cry
ing out Tor peace anu anu
'aa ~ az rsneatedIy pointed out at
ra-iods ~ the war that in my
s,aso,, ,ba struggle will be a long
80 rot altered NV Judgment.
Ii, ,hot has taken so many
nS 80 rstbar strength and has
..ss ,,saI, hv every possibIe mix
.'',. :, hr,,ts force and science is not
III. hroLsr