The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-05-03
HAVE SUNK 500, 900 TONS.
German Secretary of Interior Tells
Reichstag Campaign Big Success.

Amsterdam. April 29.-ln the first
two months of unrestricted subma-
rine warfare shipping to the amount
of more than 100000 tons was
sunk by the Germans, Dr.. Karl Helf-
ferich, German secretary of the in
terror, told the reichstag main COM
mittee yesterday. Asserting that the
submarine campaign was proving
great success, he continued:
The first months results eXcelled
the best previous results by 2o per
cent. the second months by 80 per
cent. Exact figures cannot be given,
but in the first two months the
freight tonnage sunk exceeded l.
100000, of which more than 1,OO0,-
600 was British. Perception of eco
nomic conditions in England is made
difficult by the fact that the British
government, since the beginning OF
unrestricted submarine warfare, has
decided on far reaching statistical
concealment. England could no
longer afford the publicity Of the
earlier period of the war.
From our figures one may estl-
mate the total tonnage still available
for British trade at 100000 to TO-
100000. 1t is clear the British mer-
chant fleet cannot long bear sinkings
at the present rate. Adequate sub
stitutions by new construction are
impossible, as the British increase in
ships in 1916 Notwithstanding every
effort, was not sufficient even to re-
place the normal diminution of peace
time
Says Plan Will Fail.
The British attempts to reemploy
on a great scale neutral tonnage will
fail, as it is in the interest of neu-
trails to preserve their fleets for the
time when peace comes again. Sup
posing that England was deprived OF
about half of neutral ship trafhc by
the beginning of the unrestricted
submarine warfare We arrive at the
result that arrivals at and salllngs
from English ports as regards ton
mage must have diminished in the
first months of the U-boat war by
one-ouarter to one-third. The hg-
ures of the traffic since the beginning
of the U-boat war represent 40 per
cent. less than the average salllngs
and arrivals at English ports in
times of peace. This effect is pro-
gressively increasing.
p Lloyd George justly recognized
that the question of ships will be de-
cisive for the future of British world
power and the issue of the war.
Americas Wooden Fleet.
The wooden ships which the Unit
ed States intends to build to save
Great Britain will, in all probability
only come into use when they have
nothing more to save. Great
Britain's attempt to alleviate her diff
ficulties by drastic restrictions in i'm
portations of the less essential com
modities is doomed to failure because
of her total imports in 1916 of A.
100000 tons, 100000 tons con-
sisted Of foodstuffs, luxuries, wood
and iron and among the rest were
many things indispensable in war
times
Dr. Helfferich then concluded:
Short But Secure.
I'VE in Germany have been kept
short, but we stand secure. The war
OF starvation is turned against its
originators. The American apostles
of humanity who are trying to drive
our neutral neighbors to war against
us with threats of death will not turn
the scales of fate.
Realizing her position Great Brl-
tain is seeking decision on land,
driving hundreds of thousands OF her
sons to death and ruin. The belief
that she could comfortably wait un-
til hunger had conquerer us and un-
til hunger had conquered us and un-
ter came to her rescue has disap-
peared. If we remain true to our
selves, keep calm, maintain our
nerve and keep our own house in
order by maintaining internal unity
we have won the war
This Country's Choice.