The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-13
ALLIES SINKING.
BOATS FASTER.
Than The KAISER.
CAN BUILD THEM.
Effectiveness of German
Submarine Campaign
Steadily Declining
(By Associated Press.)

Paris, Saturday, May 1.-THE ef-
fectiyeness Of the German submarine
campaign is declining. The German
government is aware of this fact,
declared Georges Leygues, ,ministeS
OF marine, before the naval CON-
mtttee of the chamber Of deputies to-
day, but has made the greatest ef-
forts to conceal it. He said the sit
uation was most favorable and that
the sinkings Of submarines in the
first three months Of 1918 through
allied measures was greater than the
number built by the enemy. q.
Minister Leygues referred to the
statement made in. the relchstag, on
April II by Vice Admiral Won Capelle,
German minister Of marine, in which
he said 100000 tons Of allied ship
ping were sunk monthly. This hg-
ure. the minister said, was incor-
rect.
It was reached and passed in April,
May and June. OF 1917. In July it
declined and in November 1t fell be-
continuously. The minister gave the
following comparative table OF. the
tonnage claimed to have been de-
stroyed by Germany and the tom
mage actually lost in the last five
months: ...-.
Month. Claimed Actual
.., - Germany. tons:
December .t...... 7o2, 900 3S6,277
January. .......... 49,, 900 302 ,459
February .....,... 689, 900 ~ 3S2 ,523
March s.s.....I.'... $50 GOO 55s, $50
April ,....t. -. -, 100000 ~. 26S, ,To4
M. Leygues said that In February,
March and April 8, T23 French stean-
ersr and 788 French sailing vessels
passed through the danger zone
where a. few months ago losses by
torpedoing had been very heavy. Not
a single ship was sunk.
More U-Boats Destroyed.
On the other hand. he said, the
number Of submarines destroyed had
increased progressively since JanU-
ary in such proportion that the ef-
fectiveness of enemy squadrons can
not be maintained at the minimum
required by the regulations. The
ed in. January, February and March
was far greater in each month than
the number constructed in the same
month. In February and April the
number of submarines destroyed
was three less than the total de-
stroyed in the previous three months.
These results. the minister de
clared, were due to Inethodicaf
character of the war against sub
marines; to the close CO ordination
of the allied navies; to the intrepid
ity and spirit animating the officers
and crews OF naval and aerial
squadrons and to the intensification
of the use of old methods and the
employment of new ones.
THE situation is most favorable" I"
the minister continued, but it does
not authorize the slackening of ef-
fort Rather, it is necessary to re-
double it as the enemy has put new
submersibles into service and is try
ing a fresh offensive in which he
plays for his last stake.
"The seafront has no conimunique.
The country does not know the tBr-
rible life there when great events
occur. Yet it is there that there is
being played one OF the parts which
has the greatest influence on the
duration and issue Of the war. The
country knows that mastery Of the
sea is the certain gauge Of victory.
It should know also that the mastery
belongs to the allies, who have won
it and who keep it, thanks to the
heroism of the sailors, who are
worthy OF their soldier brothers"