Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-04-19
German Minister 'uf Navy Declares
Sinkints MnnN Times as Great
ns Construction
U. S. DESTR0YERS PANNED
Considered Failure In Tight Against
submarines; ship Program
Too SLOW tO Help.
CONVOY PLAN BUNGLESOME
Won tnpcllc RoHsts Three on -Four
Ships sunk Out W Same Mcr-
chant Fleet

AMSTERDAM, April rs Vice
admiral Won Capollc German minis
tor of the navy. discussing suhma-
riur warfare before the main COM
mitteo OF tho rclchstag. declared that
the now U.bont construction eS-
cccdcd tho losses and that tho ef-
fcctivcness Ot the submarines had
increased Ilc quoted figures to
prove hlg contention that the H.
boat hnkings were thrice or skiold
the tonnage OF the new British con
structiou.
The minister declared that the
American drstroyers witch had
been 80 much talked about" had
failed In their object and he is
quoted by the sent official VOLT
bureau of Berlin az snying with
reference TO Ehiphuildlug:
"For the carrying Out OF Amer
teas giant paper program, America
must first lay down the shipyarhs
After prOdigious promises America
In 1917 built 10000 gross registc
tons OF seaEoinE ships The large
mercantile fleet placed on order,
America does not want for the war
but for the post bellum period when
the shipping program having been
in tho In the meantime carried out,
America will become England r.
world freight carrier"
Building W.. sinking.
I'VE also can continue absolutely
10 reckon on the military achieve.
ments hitherto attained. Whether
Lloyd George can continue the naval
N.fit ~ IA
pends not on his skill but on the
position OF the U-boats as against
shipbulldlng
He then entered Into details OF
the worlds shipbuilding for the de-
cade preceding the war ana con.
tended that the new construction OF
the Unued States and Japan To q
certain extent was needed for theii
own necessities Hence only this
figures OF British shipbuilding could
come into the question.
Loss Hurts Worse Now.
Another thing must be taken Into
consideration" he went on. Hence
forth every ship sunk strikes at u
vital nerve OF our opponents, for
when only absolutely necessary
carEoes Of foodstuffs and war nscea-
slties can bA transported, even the
loss Of small ship has quite "A dif-
ferent significance az compared with
the beginning OF tho U-boAt war
Under these circumstances even the
greatest pcsslmlst must say that the
position OF our opponents In de-
terioratinB rapidly and any doubt re-
gardlng the final success Of the u
boat war ls unjustfied
AZ
that GermRny's opponents had had
some success with their antl-submR
rine measures. but he declared this
Bncceas at no time haddany decisive
influence on the U-boat war and
according to human reckoning
would not in the future
The American deNroyers which
had been 80 much talked about had
failed. he asserted The convoy
system which. II was true, offered
ships IA certain protection, had on
the other hand the great dlsa dyan
tage Of reducing tnelr transport
facilities
The German con- manders were
especially trained for attacking con
voys and not day passed but one
or more ships were struck out OF
the conveys, Experienced COM
manders managed to aink ffom three
10 four ships In iucceasiOn belong
ing TO tho same convoy.
Admiral Won Capelle then turned
10 the steel question as affecting
shlpbuildlng