Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-02-07
Menace
HELD IN CHECK
German Submarine Not Vel
Conquered Says Sir Eric
GeddeS, First Lord of
Admiralty.
Ships CRUX OF PROBLEM
1euton War Lords Lying To
Their People About Success
Of Ruthless Campaign
Statistics Show.
Ships CRUX OF PROBLEM


London, Feb. 4.-"The submarine is
held" Thus in four words, Sir Eric
Campbell Geddes, first lord of the ad-
miralty, today summarized the results
of the first year of Germany's unre-
stricted submarine warfare, which be-
gan February ! 2 yea 6
a measure OF its failure, he added
to the correspondent. was found in the
fact that the sinking of merchant ships
now had been reduced to a level lower
than before Germany aet aside all re-
straint.
Il am an optiinist regarding the
U-boat war;" said Sir Eric. The u b
has been met and has not proved in
vincible. l am inclined to think that
now, since l made my last public state
ment, we are sinking submarines as
fast as Germany can build them. BY
curves are all good, and ] cannot
loreSee any way in which the situation
be changed except for the better.
The sooner the better, is now the
allied navy's aim. But, YOU see. there
Is still a but and it is very important
one-we must AVE more ships, If we
are able to turn this German failure
into q positive allied victory. The sub
marine destruction of the worlds ton
mage Is not a big percentage of the
whole, but the submarine destruction
still exceeds the production of ships
and meantime the demands for ton
mage are increasing By leaps and
bounds.
Americas participation in the war
must inevitably make large demands
on merchant shipping. Yet we must
continue at the same time to keep up
with the demands of the allied armies
n with the vital necessities of the
European civil population.
Ships and Yet more ships is still
the most important corrolary of the
war. How far car we rely on Ameri-
can effort for these ships? / have no
doubt he United States will do it's ut
most, but | ant to urge again the
vital Importance of its merchant ship
| ping program.
Look to Uncle Sam.
When We first asked the United
States for ships there was "A quick re-
sponse In no way can the United
States help more thar in buildins
ships. Is she succeeding? Is she
throwing her best brains and great
energies into it? She's a worthy con-
~trlDutlon to NJ great cause l hope
she is.
Meanwhile we shall not be idle.
Great Britain is s%trainins every re-
source to launch every ton of which
she Is capable. We are at the present
mornent building merchant ships at q
higher rate than ever before in our
record before The war, and before 1918
is over we shall lie building shipping of
all kinds, far more than double that
record. But q great deal depends on
American effort, II l should greatly
regret if anything l might say regard
ing tho failure of the German subma-
rine warfare should. be construed as
minimizing the need for ships and yet
more Ships"
Tl,rpi,,u N, tIa 80 +ho ,o-,
palgn against the German submarine.
Sir Eric again referred to the satisfac-
tory trend of the curves to which he
has referred in several Of his speeches.
All the curves continue to bend il,
the right direction he said. THE de-
rapidly. the construction of merchant
shipping increases steadily and the
sinking of German submarines steadily
rises.
Lie to German People.
There is still another curve which
| keep. / never told the public about
1T, but 1t gives me personally much
satisfaction. 1t is the curve represent
Ing what / call the factor OF exag-
geration' in the German official state
ments Of U-boat results. Let me ex-
plain that curve briefly:
Every month since the unrestricted
submarine war began the Germans have
issued an official statement Of the total
amount OF tonnage alleged to have been
sunk during that month. Every month
That statement comes to my desk and is
compared with the actual total as
shown in our records, it would be nat
ural to expect some differences, for sub
marine commanders would naturally in,
clude IN their reports a few ships which
they torpedoed but which we afterward
saved.
but we found there was a greater
difference h could be explained in
any such way. We found from the very
first month that there was Il certain
margin Of eXaggeration'-that is the
German admiralty always added a few
thousand tons for good measure.
Lies Admission Of Failure.
This margin of eNasgeration was
fairly small in the early months of The
undestricted warfare. when things Were
going along with a certain degree o1
success for the U-hoats. But with the
lessening of the German successes OF
July, August n September. the mar
1.-THE German admiralty found itsel.
Eobligedfte falsify it's returns more ant
more flagrantly in its effort to per
suade the German people that the
U-boats We're d continuing success.
so, l keep a record of continued in
crease in percentag, which marks the
Germans margin Of ex~aggeration, ant
this curve ] believe IS a fairly accurat,
reflection of the German official mine
and official confession thai the U-boa.
campaign is regarded as n failure b,
it's own leaders,"
Sir Eric referred to the German CLAIM
THAT the decreased sinkings were due
Ito TIE decrease in the number Of ships
tsaiiiEg.
That is false he said. .'Saiiings
and arrivals are just as numerous to
llay as they We're a year ago. There
Pc j,1Sf 90 n1ln\- Ia roo f11.pafS fpr thk
Submarines, but our improved defen,
Isive measures leave them fewer oppor
tunities to make bulls eyes"
Foresees y. S..Losses.
The correspondent referred to to Sec
retary of War Bakers statement of 8
few days ago concerning the German
plan for concentration against Ameri
can transports.
There is no doubt" SAID Sir Eric
that the U-boats viii BEND every eff
tort to attack American transports anl
liz you arc to bring across the Atlantic