The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-02
TONNAGE FIGURES
PADDED IS CHARGE
rally of Faisifying U-Boat
Returns
TURNING OUT MANY SHIPS
Germany Declared to be Adding to
Undcrsea Fleet at Rate OF Two or
Three Large Craft Each Week.
American Destroyers Very Active.
By IRWIN BARBOUR,
stafY Correspondent OF the I. N. s.

stan Correspondents OF the I. N. s.
I. Washington, Sept i.-Con1denttal
Information of serious rupture in the
German government. between the
main bloc OF the reichstag and the ad-
mlralty authorities. over the subma-
rine warfare has reached Washing
ton The situation. described as
critical. followed a violent deuunctH-
ton OF Admiral Won Capeil. Of the Ger
man admiralty, by DR.. Matthias Err
berger, leader of the centrists, before
the main committee OF the reichstag.
Or Erzberger il the man who brought
about the recent crisis which resulted
in the throw of Bethmann-H oil
veg as chancellor and led TO an i'm
perial rescript promising the democ-
-ratizattou of the Prussian electoral
system He is one of the leading
peace workers in Germany.
The outburst against Capeli is only
one evidence of the growing unrest
among the German masses. The adj
mtralty chief was accused of classifying
figures of enemy tonnage losses In or
der to keep down the wrath of the Ger
mans, which would have overwh eirncd
the men who promised them victory
through the submarine and then failed
10 make good.
The dispatches containing Details of
the clash between Erzberger and Cap
ell were sent by American special
agents. They were received in adj
rninistratlon circles several days ago.
but no hint of them has oeen permit
ted 10 be made public.
FIatIy Accuses Caperl.
According to excerpts obtained to-
day. DR.. ErZberger, during q discus =
sion of the submarine situation. fatty
accused Admiral Won Capell of falst-
flying and defied him TO deny 1t. Cap
ell was unable to make satisfactory
answer, nor could he give the method
oy which the figures had been ar
rived at showing a large destruction
OF English tonnage which he had pre-
scented to the main committee Err
berger then described the method OF
the admiral IN drawing up figures OF
British losses for dissemination to the
public. He declared they were ri
diculous and n plain falsehood"
When any ship was sunk, he said the
admiralty had been in the habit OF
giving, not the registered tonnage OF
the ship, but the dead weight, and, In
addition. adding the weight of the
cargo to the tonnage of the ship. In
other words. II a a.oo0-ton ship were
sunk, and It carried 1000 tons of
cargo, the admiralty would count 1t
5000 or mora tons of shipping de-
stroyed. In addition, Erzberger
charged, the admiralty. to make the
people believe heavy inroads were be-
ing made into the English mercantile
fleet. was listing all tonnage destroyed
as British No matter whether tor
pedoed ship was French. Italian.
Am erican. or e~en neutral, It was
addod ~ thu Ey-ff9 4t~@
This Information and similar other
dispatches of growing distrust and
disturbances against the German MIL
itary and naval leaders is said to have
played a large part In determining the
attitude of President Wilson on the
pope's peace proposals.
Total Tonnage, 1850, 900.
Officials here today expressed the
belief that the estimate Of 100000
tons Az the amount of shipping which
would be destroyed In the FIRST wear Of
unrestricted submarine warfare by
Germany was In consonane with fig
ures 80 far at hand,
This la in contrast to the c1eruna n
boast that 100000 to 1000 900 tons
month would be destroyed. It was
pointed out at the navy department
today that the Losses through subma.
rines have been cut In half since
March. American destroyers have
played a great part in this result, II
was declared. the addition of a large
squadron of the American ships to the
allied fleets already In the war zone
having operated to keep down the
depredations of the undersea raiders
TO which the destroyer Ia the natural
enemy.
Figures reaching here indicate that
Germany Ia producing two and one
halt to three submarines a week and
| that she has more than ESQ In active
service. Most OF them are of the 800
s1AEa ~. a 4 ixo4