Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-13
q asKHE fwHANE
LOSING THEIR
EFFECTIVENESS; FEWER SHIPS
sunk, SAYS REPORT FROM PARIS

Parts, saturday, May 1.-THE ef-
fectiveneas Of the German submarine
ca mpaign Is declining. The German
government Is aware of this fact, oe.
.clared Georges Leagues. minister OF
marine, before the naval committee OF
sthe chamber of deputies today, but
& hsS made the greatest efforts to con-
zeal ii, He said the situation was
rrost Favorable and that the sinkings
OF submarines in the first three
months Of 1915 through allied meas
3ures was greater than the number
built by the enemy.
Minister Leagues referred to the
statement made in the ~reichstag on
April II by Vice Admiral Won Capeile.
German minister of marine, in which
. he said 500, 900 tons of allies shipping
were sunk monthly. This figure, the
minister said. was incorrect.
1t was reached and passed in April.
May and June Of 1917. In July 1t de-
clined and in November it fell below
400, 900 and since has diminished con-
tinuously. The minister gave the fol-
l ewing comparative table OF the ton
mage claimed to have been DESTROYED
by Germany and the tonnage actually
lost in the last five months:
Claimed by Actual
Germany. Losses.
MOnLl IVHS.
January $4,000 3o2.459
February 80. ..6sa.Oo0 332.522
March ........ $4,000 35S.660
April $685. 900 26S.7O4
NJ. Lcygues said that in February,
March and April 1923 French steam
ers and 7SS French sailing vessels
passed through the danger zone
where a few months ago losses by
terpedoing had been very heavy. NOT
a single ship was sunk.
On the other hand. he said. the
number Of submarines destroyed had
increased progressively since January
in such proportion that the effective
ness of enemy squadrons cannot be
maintained at the minimum required
by the regulations. The humber OF
enemy U-boats destroyed in January,
February and March was far greater
in each month than the number con-
structed in the same month. In Fen
ruarv and April the number of suo-
marines destroyed was three less than
the total destroyed in the previous to
three months.
These results, the minister declar-
ed, were due to the methodical char
acter of the war against submarines:
to the close coordination or the allied
navies; to the intrepidity and spirit
dnlInduHS IuS OIItOSlS oAiu StS"S
naval and aerial squadrons and to the
intensifcation Of the use of old meth
DDS and employment of new ones: :,
1.-THE situation is most favorable
tho minister continued. but it does
not authorize the s%lackening of eff
forts. Rather. it is necessary to re
double it as the enemy has put new
submersib1es into service and Is try
ing q. fresh offensive in which he plays
for his last stake.
~ THE sea front has no communique'
The country does not know the ter
r1ble life there when great events oc-
cur. Yet it is there that there is be-
ing played one Of the parts which has
the greatest influence on the duration
and Issue Of the a The country
knows tina mastery Of the yea Is the
certain guage of victory. It should
know also that the mastery belong to
the allies. who have won it and who
keep 1t. thanks to the heroisrn OF the
sailors who are worthy Of their SOL
der brothers."