The Washington herald., 1918-02-01
FIGURES SHOW
U-B0AT TOLL
FAST WANING
German Submarine War.
fare Has Not Met Boasts
Made by Kaiser.
Special Cable to The Washington
Herald and New York Tribune.

herald and New York Tribune.
London. Jan. 3i.-An increase IL
British shipping losses for last weel
is shown in the official summary is
sued last night which reports tn,
destruction OF nine vessels of more
than ] 600 tons and six under that fig.
,ure.
In both OF the previous two weeks
six major ships and ten small ones
were lost. The record for last week is
better than that for the last week
in December and the first week in
January. however, in both Of which
periods eighteen large vessels and
three small ones were sunk. One fish
ing vessel was also lost last week,
while eight British merchantmen were
unsuccessfully attacked.
Figures Tell story.
A full year has now elapsed >since
Germany first launched her intensive
submarine campaign. As official state
ments of losses were not given out for
the first three weeks of the offensive
in February. 1917, the admiralty record
covers just forty-nine weeks to date.
in that period the total destruction of
British ships was 1,069; of which mum,
ber 7S7 were vessels of over l,60o tons,
2s2 under that measurement.
On the basis OF Sir Eric Gedes' fig
ures, given out in the House of Com
mons, on November / and December
13, this would mean a loss of approx
mately 100000 tons, or just about
one-half Of The total allied and neu-
tral loss stnce the unrestricted sub
s..AFfne campaign was opened
When Germany determined to un-
leash her U-boats for the great drive
that was to bring England to her
knees and end the war, Admiral Won
Capelle and other German admiralty
officials predicted that the sinking
would reach 1000 900 tons a month.
Although at some periods, particu-
larly during April, 1917, when no less
than 156 British merchantmen were
destroyed and the Germans claimed
that the months booty had aggregat-
ed 1,1OO.OO0 tons, 1t seemed as IL the
ensmy's boasts were to be realized.
Before the end of August it became
apparent that the U-boats had failed
in the task set for them.
Defensive measures were introduced,
the weight of the United States navy
was thrown into the scales and the
weekly toll Of sinkings began steadily
TO decline.
Construction Satisfactory.
Early in December Sir Eric Geddes
informed the country that the down
ward trend of losses had continued
satisfactorily for more than a month;
that the upward curve of merchant
shipbuilding has also continued satis-
factorily and would be maintained
and that the destruction of enemy sub
marines was increasing at an en-
couraging rate. Official information
showed that submarines were being
sunk by the end of the year at the
rate of about forty a month, while the
German rate of construction was about
twenty-three a month.
Meanwhile British shipyards were
replacing tonnage at the rate of 100. .O0C
tons a month upNto August, 1917, and
at much increased rate since then.
In July Britain had 15,0OO,OOO tons
afioat. with a promise of 2,sOO, 90 tons
to be added during the year, while
100000 tons Of shipping are expected
to be flying the American flag before
the end of this year.
Since April 6. when the United States
declared war, sixty-nine American
ships, of about 171.OOO tons, have been
sunk, but in that period America has
added four times as many tons from
enemy vessels seized in port and now
being successfully used to transport
men and material across the Atlantic.