The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-30
U-B0ATS' TOLL
100000 TONS
Ruthlessness Proving Great
Success. DR.. Hclffcrich
Tells Reichstao.

AMSTERDAM. April a9.-In the first two
months of unrestricted subma rne war
fare shipping to the amount OF more
than 100000 tons was sunk by the
Germans DR.. Karl Helfrerich. German
Secretary Of Interior. told the Reichstag
main committee yesterday. Asserting
the submarine campaign was proving to
be a great success. he continued
The first months results excelled the
best previous results by % per cent. the
second months by 80 per cent Exact
figures cannot be given. but in the first
two months ths freight tonnage sunk
exceeded 500. 900. Of which more than
100000 was British.
perception of economic conditions in
England is made difficult by the fact
that the British Government since the
beginning OF unrestricted submarine war
fare has decided on far reaching sta
tistical concealmcnt England could no
longer afford the publicity Of the earlier
period OF the war
IO,OOO.OOO Tons Left.
From our figures one may estimate
the total tonnage still available for Brit
!sh trade at 100000 to 100000. II
In clear the British merchant fleet can
not long bear sinkings at the present
rate. Adequate substtutions by new
construction are impossible. as the Brit
ish increase in ships in 1916. notwith-
standing every effort, was not sufficient
even to replace the normal diminution OF
peace time.
"The British attempts to reemploy on
n great scale neutral tonnage will fail,
as II is in the interest OF neutrals to pre-
serve their fleets for the time when peace
comes again. Supposing England were
deprived OF about half of neutral ship
traffic by the beginning OF the unre-
ptricted submarine warfare We arrive at
the result that arrivals at and sa!lings
from English ports as regards tonnage
must have diminished in the first months
OF the E-boat war by one-quarter TO
one-third The figures OF the traffic
since the beginning of the U-boat war
represent 40 per cent less than the aver
age sailings and arrivals at English
ports in times OF peace. This effect is
progressively increasing.
Lloyd George justly recognized that
the question of ships will be decisive for
the future of British world power and
the issue of the war;
Not Afraid OF L. s.
After having produced further statis-
tics and giving deductions tending to
show that Great Brtain's position is
rapidly growing worse. Or. Helfferich
continued
The wooden ships which the United
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 difficulties by
drastic restrictions In importations OF
the less essential commodities Is doomed
to failure because Of her total imports
in 1915 Of 100000 tons $1,000, 900
tons consisted Of foodstuffs, luxuries.
wood and iron, and among the rest were
many things indispensable in war times"
Dr. HelYerich then concluded: we in
Germany have been kept short, but We
stand secure. The way OF starvation is
turned against its oIfginatOrs. The
American apostles OF humanity who are
trying to drive our neutral neighbors Ia
war against us with threats OF death
will not turn the scales OF fate.
"Realizing her position, Great Britain
is seeking a decision on land. driving
hundreds OF thousands OF her sons "a
death and ruin. The belief that she could
comfortably wait until hunger had con-
auered us and until her great brother
Ieyond the water came to her rescue
has disappeared. II we remain true ia
ourselves. keep calm. maintain our nerve
and keep our own house in order by
maintaining Internal unity we have won
the war. In these decisive weeks the
German people has to prove that 1t Is
worthy to exist"
Herr Won Brettreich, Minister of the
Interior of Bavaria, has begun cam
paign Of circulation, according to advices
received from Munich. urging farmers to
hold out for the short time which re-
mains before submarines have compelled
Co~ttSved On TAtrd Po0s.