THE HUNS' BOAST

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 29, 2 February 1917, Page 8

THE HUNS' BOAST

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE SUBMARINES

TO MAKE ALLIES' DIFFICULTIES

UNBEARABLE

GROUND PREPARED FOR DECISIVE BLOW.

(REOTEIfS TELEGRAM.)

(Received February 2, 1.10 p.m.)

AMSTERDAM, Ist February.

Herr yon. Bethmann-Hollweg, in the Reichstag, declared tliat the most important fact leading to the new situation was that the "number of Germany's submarines had been very considerably increased compared with last spring. t Thus a firm basis had been created for success. The second decisive reason was tho bad corn harvest of the world, which had already caused Britain, France, and Italy serious difficulties. Germany firmly hoped to make these difficulties unbearable by means of unrestricted submarine warfare. He declared that the coal question was already critical in France and Italy, and the_ German submarines would render it still more critical. Moreover, as regards England, there was the question of the supply of ore for munitions, and of timber for the coal mines. The Entente's difficulties would be rendered more acute by decreased cargo space. The submarine and cruiser warfare had prepared the ground for a decisive blow. The Chancellor asserted that while the advantages Germany would gain from such a blow had correspondingly decreased since last spring, Yon Hindenburg_ had a few days ago described the situation as follows : — "Our front is firm on all sides. We have everywhere the requisite reserves, and the spirit of our troops is good and confident. The military situation as a whole permits ,us to accept all the consequences of unrestricted submarining, and, as this in all circumstances is the means to injure our enemies most grievously, it must begin."