Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-02

Hi' - cave some interesting ana
"1"s ,sly awaited figures on the work
dt"io Jaw and shipping in general
q ~" doc,aration that between 40 and
i' oe,, Of the German submarines
arara,ing IN the North sea tne At'dh,-
a,d the Arctic oceans nao peen SUM
M, the least interesting OF ms
onrcenents. and there was an IN
.'a,;o, If the INCREASING war the BRIT
nd American patrols are making
y" su,narlnf in his statement that
1870 rhc last quarter the enemy had
dI1'"- ,,r1. submarines as during the
whole Of 1916 =,
W. w. .ret lord speaking directly of
d,,srtment. said that in addition
;ncre4 GO in the pers0nnel the SER
of ,.ounger officers had been re-
,;.;,.oned. 10 add strength to the ex-
--.r,o If the older officers on the
naval staff. ~
rnferrire to The question Of pub
,..Lt.., tho tonnage of British mer-
,tantmen Lost through submarines ne
I'D he had made most careful inNes-
.iostion and had approached the SUD
,oot with tho IDEA that II was deslra-
VI, and /, ought 20 be possible to give
40 rpblic figures because, he added
"i, ;s hardly conceivable that the en-
-. doee not know what he is sink
ng. No..
lie regretted tn say, however. that
:. had M, found il possible to arrive
,,anv form Of publication which would
~, convey most valuable Information
.. the enemy which he did not now
,ossess if information were given in
re~nlar sequence for specific periods.
II have studied from variety OF
sources said the first lord, the state
ments made from time to time by the
enemy as to tonnage and position ana
have come TO the definite conclusion
that not only does he not know what
&c heina sunk hut that he would like
very much indeed to know what is be-
jen sunk regularly month by month or
week by week. or even exactly for
period
Sir Eric experimenting the recent
statement by Premier Lloyd George in
Albert ball. said that he could give
,srtain information which would show
that we arc making reasonably salts
factory progress in overcoming the
menace OF the enemy's submarine ac-
tyties
He aGded that tho House would real
IL that "hovever great the loss of
mercantile tonnage is-and the figures
are still very formidable-w cannot at
this stage Of the war pick any one item
~ doGuco thercfrom that the war.
ser any phase Of the war. is going
vel o. Hadlr
The Kaleidoscope changes which go on ,
IN actual warfare. he added, is continually
oc,urri.g IN workshops and shipyards. To
u uniformed observer it must appear
sometimes that there is no method in the
madness OF those who control these mat
tiers
"Bu said he. Il would appeal to the 7
Cd in what we do.
General Submarine Situation
The general situation regarding sub .
marne warfare can best be demonstrat-
ell by the following figures:
Since the beginning of the war between /
ana % per cent Of the German subma- .
iantic nd the Arctic oceans have been
sunk During the last quarter the enemy ,
has lost as many submarines as during
the waole OF 1876. !
As regards the sinking of British mer-
chant tonnage h. submarines. the Ger
man Official figures for August are SOSo'o
tons # all nationalItes. They sank little .
mere than one-third Of that amount Of
British tonnage ANA little more than ,
hal OF all nationalties. |
Ger September their official figures are ,
sI%ro tons The sank far less than one
third OF that amount of British tonnage ,
and less than onc-half Of that amount OF
all pa;ionalitice.
The Germans claim that our tonnage
i falling So low that there are nor
enough ships on he sea 10 enable their
Submarine commanders to maintain their
hac. lot me give YOU facts. In April
last, the heaviest month of British losses
tH eusmy submarines since the war be-
gan, cur trade flowed presumably IN sat
isfactory volume for the enemy suhma-
r"e n September last, his lowest month
% sinking our overseas sailings OF all
shrs Of over l6N tons We're - per cent
n Homber and q per cent in tonnage
higher thaa in April The enemy must
therefore tnd another and better exrla-
ration for his lack Of success | can sup
lly il
Inc explanation is that the long arm
=" me British navy reached down into
mo depths and thus the harvest redpe.
) poorer and the number Of German sub
"aFin's which DO not return is iAcreas-
Ing
~" Ap:iI. tic liahes; month for
">' i"ssaS. they have steadily de |
'aSeo and lately To a marked degree.
'P'eHher was the most satisfactory
'''tth 'ctche" was only slightly !:
">' "'d hetter by so per cent than
o'her month since unrestricted I
''n'"r>ne warfare begun. The net re-
'''.'' N tonnage in the past four
'0'nS Is 50 PEI cent less than antici- !
~ lFe estimate prepared for the
'""lnet early in July.
-"' ''ta' net reduction since the be-
hS ~ TIE war from all causes in !
'',s' tonnage. on the official register
N'i'S Owe. 1900 tons is under two
~. oSt millions of tons gross or Il
a GENT and that after a period when
s,; "rhlles and their magnificent .
aNP'heht received priority and the .
90 HfoWt.' Of our navy was stimuli !
,~a e'usiN achieved to the detriment of
'dN'ile shipbuildinS. Now that the ,
sa,, - ne 5 for the present doing less !
'hIndgp ana tbo -,