The daily banner., 1917-09-24
GERMAN GERMAN NOTES NOTES SIGNIFY SIGNIFY :
WEAKENING OF EMPIRE
England Reioices i'll Her Victories
Over Enemy on Land And sea-
English Loss by Submarine War
fare Considerably Less

London. Sept. 23.-This is the
most cheerful weekend that Eng
| land has had in d long time. Droop
] ing spirits have had sharp rebound
and there is every appearance thai
! the recovery is on d solid basis. The
j German and Austrian notes, while
not taken seriously as d peace move
are construed as symptom of weak
ening and measure to prepare tbs
public of the Central Empires for al
tered war prospects. They see the
| handwriting on the WALL" is a com
ment often heard and expresses the
! prevailing view.
! These notes must be construed in
! the light of military developments
which are of the utmost significance
| On land and sea Germany has suff-
| cred d serious check. After the first
six months of the submarine cam
paign. averaging a weekly deStruc-
ton, including sinkings by raiders,
of almost l so. 900 tons. July and Au-
gust showed an average of slightly
more than 116, 900 tons a week
AS indicated in dispatches, the ma
val authorities We're gratified. but
not satisfied. with this reduction,
recognizing the fact that, while de-
structicn aggregating 900 tons
month was less bad than that OF
500, 900, it was still much greater
than the situation would stand. as
it was exceeding the building rate
by approximately 100000 tons a
month.
The first week in September show
ed a further improvement, and then
came the second week with de-
crease of nearly so per cent. The
figures, when translated into tons,
show much the smallest loss in any
week since the ''frightfulness" be-
gan last February. The figures for
the week ending Sept. l6 were g.
600 tons. as against d weekly aver
age for August of 11S, 1000 tons, for
July of 115, 1000. and for the first six
months of 135, 900 tons. exclusive OF
losses by raiders.
y week, or even month. is too
short a period TO make the basis of
serious calculations, but the sustain
ed reduction, together with the
known facts in connection with the
defensive campaign. Justify q high
degree of optimism. Berlin knows
that the Allies are now countering
effectively against the undersea at
tack upon which Germany has main
ly built her hopes.
The actual figures of recent losses
have not been published mere: there
fore. the press has made much OF The
improvement and has enormously
attributed the bulk of il to smoke
boxes and other new devices. | can
state positively that the improve
ment is due 10 the tightening and
perfeCUng of the convoy system. In
this work and its results America
up the eyes of our fleet" Cthe de
str0yers, to what appeared TO be
the paramount necessity of protect
ing Atlantic shipping. In this mat
ter Secretary Daniels showed a bold
initiative and is entitled to credit for
his part in the strategy that halted
the German attempt to cut the jug
lar of Allied Europe.
The C-bOat was at the height of
its prosperity when our destroyers.
followed by innumerabIe other
American craft, were sent to British
waters. Meanwhile additional yes
sells have been dispatched as they
could be got hold of, and experience
pointed our needs. And We have
contributed a personnel of whose