Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-11-02
RUSSIAN PEPOPLE Do NOT BELIEVE.
GERMANY CAN Be BEATEN AND THEY
CAN'T CARRY BURDEN ANY LONGER
SUBMARINE LOSS
REPORTED HEAVY
MORE THAN FORTY PER CENT. OF
GERMAN U-B0ATS HAVE BEEN
SUNK, BUT THEY ARE BEING
BUILT RAPIDLY.

LONDON, Nov. 2.-Between 40 and
so per cent. of the German submar
rines operating in the North Sea, the
Arctic and the Atlantic since the be-
ginning of the war have been suk,
said Sir Eric Geddes, first lord of the
admiralty in the house of commons
yesterday afternoon.
We must lay plans for a long war, -
said Sir Eric. Il see no signs of its
being a short one"
During the last quarter the Ger
mans losl as many submarines as they
| lost in 1916" said Sir Eric.
The output of merchant shipping in
the first nine months of this year, he
said, was 1913 per cent. higher than in
he corresponding period last year. The
admiralty had decided that four new
sLipbuilding yards would benecessary.
Sir Eric said he regretted it had
not been found possible to arrive at a
basis for publication of British ton
mage losses by submarine action with
out giving information to the enemy
The losses of merchantmen in Octo-
ber, he said, were very slightly worse
than in September Enemy subma-
rines were being sunk to an increas-
ing extent, but the Germans were
building them faster than they had
done hitherto.
In September, Sir Eric continued,
there were afioat on the high seas an
increase of 20 per cent. in numbers
and 80 per cent. in tonnage of British
ships, as compared with April.
He announced the governments in
tenticn of appointing an additioal civil
loro of the admiralty ad said the at
tention Of the first sea lord would be
devoted wholly to naval staff matters.
Standard ships aggregating 100000
tons had been arranged for, he said,
aud more than half of them were un-
der construction.
The total net reduction of British
tonnage since the beginning of the
war was given by Sir Eric as 2,500,000
tons.
Replying to the criticism that
fleet had not been sent to assist Rus
sia, he pointed out that such an opera
ton would occupy considerable time.
and that there were extensive mine
fields Responsible naval opinion was
unanimous that the step was not one
which should be taken.
At the present time, Sir Eric ir-
formed the house, there are 235 dry
docks which can be devoted to repairs
OF merchant shipping, exclusive OF
hose used for warships.
A reduction of so per cent. in Ger
,an merchant slipping, Sir Eric con
tinued, had been caused by the sinking
Iof ships, or by their passing into the
lends of Germany's enemies.
All by their economy can help the
royal navy and the navies of the allies
to defeat the submarines" Sir Eric
added
In September. he continued, the
royal naval air service carried out 81
raids behind the enemy lines in Flan-
ders, dropping 2,736 bombs.
| Replying to criticism, regarding the
recent logs of a Scandinavian convoy
in the North Sea, Sir Eric said had
the British navy been informed of the
attack, which it was not, its position
was such that it could not have wished
better opportunity of intercepting
the raiders
The Scandinavian convoy system had
been going on since April, he added,
and this was the first occasion on
which any ship had been lost