South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-14
NEW U-BOAT
WILL COMBAT
ALLIED SHIPS
Germany Realizes America is
Solving Problem of Under
Sea PiraCy-To Make
Big Drivers.

WASHINGTON, May 14.-ReaIiz-
ing that America and her allies have
gained the mastery over the pres
ent type of submarine. Germany
now is said 10 be planning a new
series OF big U-boat cruisers with
which she hopes TO again assume
the advantage of her unrestricted
underwater warfare.
Announcement of the new Ger
man scheme is made by Georses
Leygues, the French minister Of
marine. in an interview received
here today in an Official dispatch
from France No details regarding
the new U-boats were given by NJ
Leygues, but from information from
other sources il appears that the
cruiser submarines will be heavily
armed and armored and will De de-
signed specially TO meet the menace
of the torpedo boat destroyers which
have proved so effective in hunting
down the smaller submarines now
in operation.
NJ. Leysues declared that the al
lies are ready 10 meet Germanys
new efforts and that they will not
rest upon the "hne results obtained
in the past.
VIII Clean Up sea.
I'VE shall not stop" he said, "un-
til we have cleaned up the sea and
thac as one cleans up a trench"
Just how effective has been the
war against the U-boats is shown
by figures on destruction of allied
shipping given 10 the naval commit |
tee of the French chamber of depu- |
ties saturday by Minister Leygues. !
They reveal that sinkings OF mer-
chantmen have fallen off to the |
point where new construction is eX-
ceeding the destruction even now, !
before American yards are In full
operation on the great building
program mapped out by their ship |
ping board.
The monthly average of destruc- |
ton this year as given by NJ. Ley |
CUES is $4,000 compared with
more than 100000 tons monthly in |
1917. In April of last year the first |
month of Germany's unrestricted |
submarine warfare, the tonnage /
sunk was $1,000. In April of this
year it had dwindled TO about 1884,
GEO tons.
On the other hand the destruc- |
ton of submarines is exceeding |
their construction by the enemy and /
the margin is expected TO increase !
as additional American destroyers, |
which now are being turned out
rapidly take their places with the
war craft operating in the war zone.
Total shipping Destroyed.
The total of allied shipping de-
stroyed in the first four months of
1918 was placed by NJ. LeygUes at
1.262,345 tons and even if the sub
marines are able TO maintain this
rate which OFFICIALS doubt the years
total would be something like s.,
200, 600 tons or less than the esti
mated amount of tonnage which the
shipping board believes America
will produce during the year.
Added to the American produc
ton the output in Great Britain,
France and Japan. the allies would
gain for the year something like
two million tons. not counting the
one million or more tons of charter
ed japanese and Norwegian ships
and requisitioned Dutch vessels.
While encouraging, officials en-
phasize the fact that these figures do
rot furnish the margin Of safety
that is necessary. and there viii be
no relaxing of building efforts in
anv of the allied countries or in
America. England's output thus far
this year has not come up to eXpec-
tations and the American yards have
not turned out the tonnage antici-
pated because of freight congestion
and other causes. and renewed eff
forts are being made 70 speed up the
program.