The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-02
HALF: OF kAISER'S
SUBMARINES SUNK
First Lord of Admiralty Praises
Work Being Done by
American Navy.
ALLIES GRATEFUL TO U. S.
Declares British Shipping Is Increas-
ing Despite U-Boat Warfare
Entente Nations Overcom-
ing Sea Menace.

London, Nov, 2.-Sir Eric Geddes,
who recently succeeded Sir Edward
Carson as first lord of the admiralty,
made his first address in parliament
and gave some interesting and anxious
ly awaited figures on the work Of the
navy and shipping in general.
His declaration that between 40 and
so per cent of the German submarines
operating in the North sea, the Allan
sunk was not the least interesting Of
his announcements, and there was an
indication of the unceasing war the
British and American patrols are
making on the submarine In his state
ment that during the last quarter the
as during the whole of 1916.
Grateful to America.
II wish to- acknowledge fully the
valuable contribution made by the
United States navy in convoy work
since their destroyers joined us under
command of Vice Admiral Sims, from
whom we have received the heartiest
cooperation and whose counsel has
been of great value to u.s. The con-
tribution Of the United States navy
was given promptly and freely upon
their entry into the war and is grad
ually being extended In this and other
ways.
"As Is known, we have had most
IYtn fn S-1t1 tD 1Vf1i p a
Mayo, and on the occasion of his visit
took counsel with him us to the role
the American navy was to play. We
also took advantage of his visit to
have an international naval confer
ence, from which we hope much good
may result"
Overcoming the Menace.
Sir Eric, supplementing the recent
statement by Premier LloydGeorge in
Albert hall, said that he could give
co.'ail. information which would show
that I'VE are making reasonably salts
factory progress in overcoming the
menace of the enemys submarine ac-
tivities"
"As regards the sinking of British
merchant tonnage by submarines"
said Sir Eric. "the German official fig
ures for August are SOS,000 tons of all
nationalities. They sank little more
than one-third of that amount of Brit
ish tonnage and little more than half
Of all natiOnalities.
LET me give you facts: In April
losses by energy submarines since the
war began, our trade flowed presum-
ably in satisfactory volume for the
enemy submarine.
Sinkings Are Decreasing.
"Since April, the highest month for
British losses, they have steadily de-
creased, and latterly to a marked de
gree.
"Now that the submarine is for the
present doing less damage and the
resources of the country are again
being devoted to far greater and an
increasing extent to the upbuilding of
the mercantile marine, look for net
results still more formidable.
Summarized, the submarine war
fare amounts to this: Our defensive
measures have during the last seven
months proved so efficacious that i'll
spite, of the increased number of ships
passing through the danger zone there
has been steady reduction In the dam
age done by the enemy submarines
In the meantime we are sinking enemy
ouhmarineS tO An increasing extent
Our offensive measures are improving
and will still more improve and multi
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