The sun., 1917-02-16
Depends on Submarines to
Conquer "MOst Hated
Enemy"
PREDICTS VICTORY
IN THREE MONTHS
LudendOrff Believes His
Plan Will Win Before
|. S. Can Strike.

LONDON. Feb. l6.-An imperial order.
signed by the German Emperor and
addressed ITO my navy" is published
in the Marine VerOrdnun0sbldtt, ac-
cording to Berlin despatch to Am
sterdam. The order is' as follows:
"In the impending decisive battle the
task falls to my navy of turning the
means Of which our most hated and
most obstinate enemy intends to over
throw the German people. against him
and his allies by combating their sea
traffic with all means in our power.
an this work the submarines will
stand in the first rank. | expect this
weap pom TO be developed with wise fore
sight at our admirable yards, in CO.
operation with all our other naval fight
ing weapons. and. supported by the
spirit which during the whole course
of the war has enabled us to perform
brilliant deeds. it will break our enc
mics war designs
Ludendorn vital spirit.
Americans who have arrived from
Berlin and who were in position to
see what was taking place behind the
screen regard Gen. Won LudendOrff. the
First Qua artermas ster General of the Ger
man Imperial Army. as the most vital
person in the small group surrounding
Emperor William responsible for the
German policy.
Ger. Won Ludendorff. the Americans say.
IN I'M IA
the military plans. while Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg, Chief Of the General Staff.
is the hand that executes them. Gen. Won
Ludendorff is described as being OF
military mind rather than OF political
one Yet his immense influence in the
encourage Of the German Emperor gives
him n voice in purely political and for
eign policies
Americans whose business in Berlin
was to study the springs OF action OF the
German Government say they know
that Gen. Won Ludendorif dislikes Ameri-
cans and has contempt for their military
strength that is. while aware of their
potentialities. yet so far as any organl-
zation and application of them is pos
sible they could not, In the opinion OF
the German Quartermaster-G General, be
brought TO bear upon the present war,
which. in his belief. will be finished be-
fore the United States can get into ac-
tion.
The conviction in the small group re-
sponsible for the acts of the German
Government appears TO be that the sub
marine war can be successful against
| England within three months; that IN
any event il is a powerful arm Tor I'M
mediate and continual use until the war
| is ended Consequently 1t will be used
for all IT is worth.
! Man Power Lacking.
The military situation in Germany, ac-
cordng to the same source Of inforna-
ton. is regarded as beginning TO be
| affected by the exhaustion of man power.
! Every man In the country between the
| ages OF IS and A. has been gathered for
| the army. Workmen within those ages
have been reNlaced by men physically
unfit for active service or below or be-
| yond the age limits.
! The German losses in dead are ofti-
cially placed by the last public an
nouncements as having reached slightly
beyond 100000 officers and men. bu,
| according to cautious estimates. the
losses are 100000 or 10000 beyond
that figure. The sanitary service of the
, German army has been very good, and
because of this high percentage OF
wounded soldiers has been able To re-
turn to the active army. Yet the mum
ber of permanently disabled among the
wounded probably will bring the ire
placeable losses considerably beyond the
1000 900 mark.
The real reason for the deportation
of Belgans, the American arrivals say
appears to be that Gen. Won Luden
dorffs plans preconce!ved the retire
ment from the greater part OF Franco
and Belgium to shorter lines If force'
to do SO by the offensive this year OF
the Entente Allies.