Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-02-28
GERMANY S HOPES OF BRINGING
ALLIES TO KNEES NOT
REALIZED
ESTIMATE OF THE LOSSES
Heavy Blows Dealt Shipping by the
Teuton Demons of the Deep
Brought U. S. Into War


) marine warfare ended recently. o.
5 Jan. 81 1917, the German government
) suddenly cast aside its peace overture
and astonished the world by presentin,
note to the United States government
to the effect that from February l Sc;
traffic would be stopped with every
available weapon and without furthe
notice in certain specified zones. The
decree applied to both enemy and neu
trail vessels, although the United State:
was to be permitted to sail one steam
ship a week in each direction, using
Falmouth as the port of arrival and de
parture. On February 3 President Viii
son appeared before congress and an
nounced that he had severed diplo-
matte relations with Germany on the
ground that the imperial government
had deliberately withdrawn its solemn
assurances in regard to its method of
conducting warfare against merchant
vessels. Two months later, ON April
6, congress declared a state of war
with Germany.
Brought America Into War
The German people were led to be-
lieve that an aggregate of 100000
tons of shipping would be destroyed
each month, that the wastage would
bring England to her knees in six
months and lead to peace. The six
months went by, but the hopes of the
German government were not realized;
instead, the submarine war brought
the United States into the conflict, and
this, in the words of Philip Scheide-
mann, leader of the German majority
socialists, has been the "most notice
able result. Nevertheless. as the fig
ures published below indicate, the sub
marine, used without restrictions, has
proved itself to be an unrivaled weap-
on of destruction, difficult to combat
by reason of its ability to stalk and
surprise its quarry while remaining, to
all purposes, invisible. 1t has taken
heavy toll of ships and men, it has
caused great privation among the peo-
pies of the ententes nations, and is still |
although Fheld' within |
certain limits, as Sir Eric Geddes, first
lord of the admiralty, said few weeks
ago.
Sunk About 100000 Tons
1t is impossible to give exact figures
Of tonnage destroyed in the twelve
months. Possibly the loss of al
lied and neutral vessels has been in
the neighborhood of 100000 tons. or
something less than Is percent of
heir total tonnage. This is a liberal
arrived at by taking the fie
Tres of Great Britain, the United
states. France, Norway and Spain as
basis.
Tables compiled from the report of d
he commissioner of navigation of the
United States for 1916 put the total
of the merchant fleets of al
led and neutral countries at about 40,
10000 tons. OF this amount the coun-
ries used as a basis represent 35,OOO.-
20 tons. England and France in 1916 +
ad combined tonnage of more than n
3,OOO,OOO; Norway and Spain more A
IAN 100000, and the United States n
over 100000, including j
reat lakes vessels. j
Three of the countries, England. A
rance and Norway, are in the war s.
me. Combined they represent about o
IF the world IS tonnage that has been n
fected by the U-boat warfare. Their d
nkings, figured in percentages, are ia
most identical
Location Is U-Boat Factor b;
Spain represents the neutral Euro VI
an nations outside the war zone. but
close commercial touch with coun Q
es inside the zone. The United States @
presents the largest marine power @
tside of Europe. The fact that the @
ited States has been activity en-
ged in the war for almost a year has
20 I !
fo7,res donoon'4,o ooa'i 1911 'Iio" as NJ.
alton is vital factor in the U-boat VI
npaign. FIJI
mother reason for choosing these
ntries as a basis for an estimate of wa
damage caused by the German sub. 'on'
ines is the fact that the figure of see
es during the last twelve months for
Sc countries are more accurate than u Gay
Sc of other maritime powers The 0n 70
ilsh figures are given out weekly -,
Norwegian figures are complete e.
II months, those for January oa1
ING been estimated on a basis of anu
average sinkings for the previous was
months, The figures for the United 'cai
es are based on careful compila o u
of records of sinkings which have Er'.
made public in the 12-mOnth De- 9 oot
In the case of the other two Sz9'
tries the figures used are based sale
compiled by marine ex- ulstl
Greatest Losses Were British Il t.
ring the l2-month period England tiguC
ost as many vessels as all Of the so Il
maritime powers combined. The the !
number on English vessels sunk On
Feb. l, 1917, is 1889. This Dona
not include small fishing vessels. dress
llch about 1877 were sunk. These ing I
IS, however, are not figured in STAN
erehant marine of the country. 50 a res
I really does not alter the conclu. to ov
Norway comes next, with about are ]
and is followed by France. with Jobs
N, Italy and Holland following in staml
rider named. M
following table of the losses Land