“England earns in this war as opposed to other wars, nothing.  Part of her industrial workers are under arms, the others are working in making war munitions for her own use, not, however, for the export of valuable wares.”

Admiral Hollweg has a clever theory that the German fleet has played a prominent role in the war, although most of the time it has been hugging the coasts of the Fatherland.  He declares that the fleet has had a “distance effect” upon the Allies’ control of the high seas.  On page 197 he says: 

“What I mean in extreme by ‘fernwirkung’ [distance effect] I will show here by an example.  The English and French attack on Constantinople failed.  It can at least be doubted whether at that time when the connection between Germany and Turkey was not established a strong English naval unit would have brought the attack success.  The necessity of not withdrawing the English battleships from the North Sea prevented England from using a more powerful unit at Constantinople.  To this extent the German battle fleet was not without influence in the victory for the defender of Constantinople.  That is ‘distance effect.’”

On page 187 Hollweg declares:  “England not only does not make money to-day by war but she is losing.  The universal military service which she was forced to introduce in order to hold the other Allies by the tongue draws from her industry and thereby her commerce, 3,500,000 workmen.  Coal exportation has decreased.  During the eleven months from January to November, 1916, 4,500,000 tons less coal was exported than in 1915.  In order to produce enough coal for England herself the nation was compelled by the munitions obligation law to put miners to work.”

On page 223 the author declares: 

“That is, therefore, the great and important role which the submarines in this war are playing.  They are serving also to pave the way in the future for the ‘freedom of the seas.’”

He adds that the submarines will cut the thread which holds the English Damocles’ sword over weak sea powers and that for eternity the “gruesome hands” of English despotism will be driven from the seas.

[Illustration:  CHART SHOWING TONNAGE OF SHIPS SUNK BY GERMAN SUBMARINES FROM REAR ADMIRAL HOLLWEG’S BOOK]

Germany’s submarine warfare which was introduced in February, 1915, began by sinking less than 50,000 tons of ships per month.  By November, 1915, the amount of tonnage destroyed per month was close to 200,000 tons.  By January, 1916, the tonnage of ships destroyed by submarines had fallen to under 100,000 tons.  In April, 1916, as Grand Admiral von Tirpitz’ followers made one more effort to make the submarine warfare successful, nearly 275,000 tons were being destroyed a month.  But after the sinking of the Sussex and the growing possibilities of war with the United States the submarine warfare was again held back and in July less than 125,000 tons of shipping were destroyed.