New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-02
British Admiralty Head
Cites Figures on Sub
marine Menace
Tells Nation Long
War Is Expected
Teuton Campaign Has Cost
Empire 2,5O0,OOO Tons
in Ships

who recently succeeded Sir Edward
J Carson as First Lord OF the Admiralty,
made his first address in Parliament
to-day.
His declaration that between 20 and
I 90 per cent Of the German submarines
operating in the North Sea. the At
lantic and Arctic oceans had been sunk
was not the least interesting Of his an
nouncements, and there vas an indica-
tion Of the unceasing war the British
( and American patrols are making on
the submarine in his statement tha.
during the last quarter the enemy had
lost as many submarines as during the
whole of 1916.
I'VE must lay our plans for a long
war;" Sir Eric said. 81 see no signs of
its being a short one, and all. by their
economy. can help the navies o. the
Allies defeat the Submarine"
Add Strength to staff
The First Lord, speaking directly OF
! his department, said that. in addition
to an increase In the personnel, the sJ-
vices OF younger officers had been
rcquisitioned, Co add strength TO tie
experience of the older officers on the
naval staff.
Sir Eric said that he could give
certain information which would show
that "we are making reasonably sat
! isfactory progress in overcoming the
menace Of the enemy's submarine ac-
tivities."
lie added that the House would real
4 izc that however great the loss OF
mercantile tonnage is-and the figures
are still very formidable cannot
nt this stage of the war pick any one
I lem 10 deduce therefrom that the war,
even any phase of the war, Is going
well or badly
Half Of U-Boats Lost
"The general situation regarding
submarine warfare can best be demon
: strated By the following figures:
Since the beginning OF the war De
tween 30 and 30 per cent or the Ter
man submarines operating IN me
Vor,b Sea. the Atlantic and the Arctic
Ocean have been sunk. During the
last quarter the enemy has iost ss
many submarines as during the whole
OF 1916. u.
"As regards the sinkings of British
merchant tonnage BY submarines, the
German official figures for August are
sos 900 tons Of all nationalities. Ihey
sank little more than half, OF all ma
tionalities.
For September their official figures
are G79. 900 tons. They sank iar less
than one-third of that amount Of Brit
ism tonnage and less than one-hali OF
that amount of all nationalities.
"The Germans claim that our ton
mage is falling 80 low that there are
not enough ships on the sea 10 enable
their submarine commanders 70 main
tain their bag. The explanation ~ that
the long arm of the British navy has
reached down into the depths. and thus
1 the harvest reaped is poorer and the
number OF German submarines which
do not return is increasing.
Offensive Measures Better
Summarized. the submarine warfare
amounts 70 this: Our defensive meas
ures have during the last seven months
,roved 90 eFicacious that in spite OF
! .he increased number OF ships that are
passing through the danger zone there
/ has been steady reduction IN the DAM
! age done BIZ the enemy submarines. In
/ the mean time we are sinking enemy
submarines 20 an increasing extent.
Our offensive measures are improving
and will still more improve and null
t!ply.
"But. on the other hand, the Ger
mans are building submarines faster
than they have hitherto done, and they
/ have not yet attained their maximum
strength. IL appears 20 ne, therefore.
that the submarine warfare, as else
where. is becoming test of determina-
ton ard ingenuity between the two
ccntcnding forces.
For the present | have come TO
the conclusion that the submarine
warfare is going we'll for US. The
enemy has done less damage than he
hoped and less than we estimated. lie
fas done il with serious ARD heavy
loss TO himself. At present VIC may be
justified in feeling that his attack on
our trade is held and is being mastered,
and We are justified in looking 10 the
future with courage and determina-
ton. confident that he will fall
"The huge army OF the United
States" he said. "is preparing and has
10 be transported and maintained. The
French. Italian and other allies re-
quire seaboard help. That help can
only be given If the nation is prepared
strictly and vigorously TO curtall It's
needs. develop home resources and con-
serve its present potential maritime
strength.
TIE output OF merchant tonnage tor
the first nine months OF 1917 iS l25
per cent higher than the total output
for the whole Of 1915
II wish 70 acknowledge fully the val
liable contribution made By the United
| States Navy in this convoy work since
their destroyers joined US under COM
mand OF Vice-Admiral Sims. from
whom we have received the heartlest
cooperation and whose counsel has
been of great value TO US. The con-
/ tribution of the United states Navy
was given promptly and freely upon
their entry into the war, and IS grad
uallv being extended in this and other
| ways. =,
@The displacement OF the navy is IL
ner cent greater than in 1914. when "
was 2.400.0 900 tons At the outbreak OF
the war We had eighteen mine-sweep-
ers and auxiliary patrols; to-day there
ara 1856. The personnel OF the meet
before the war was $4,000; to-day IL