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Show MUM IS SiwrsucraiNG Many Tons of Shipping Sunk, But U-Boat Will Not Decide De-cide the War. PARIS, May 25, S p. m. Deputy jtilc3 Cols created a sensation In the cbaiabor of deputies this afternoon In the course of the discussion on the interpellations concerning submarine trarfnre by producing statistics showing show-ing that merchunt ships aggregating r 400,000 tons had been sunk since the beginlng of 1915. After he had given details of these figures and sharply criticised the navy department in con nection with the submarine question, tl,e chamber decided to continue the essIon in secret session. When the public session was re- sained, Rear Admiral Lacaze, minister & of marine, replied to the interpellates. U "Our enemies." he said, "have said ! v j that they would bring England and I ai'cj Franco to their knees. I have said I JUKI 1 IVIku.. -, .uo ouuiiianuttS win not conquer us." Hear Admiral Lacaze then pointed out that the position of the allies ami neutrals at the beginning of this year J5 to tonnage was about the same as at the beginning of the war. "The losses of the first four months of this year may be totaled at 2,500.000 ions," the minister declared. "Taking Into account the new boats building, and without any optimism whatever, the loss at the end of this year with the same Intensity of destruction ffould be 4,500,000 tons out of a total of more than -10,000,000 tons. Is that the effective blockade with which Germany Ger-many menaced us?" The minister of marine referred to the means of defense against submarines, subma-rines, declaring that all merchant ships by October will have been armed with two cannon of 47 millimeters milli-meters each. The Socialists interrupted violently and persistently, but the majority of the chamber applauded Rear Admiral Lacaze when he declared that, up to . $' the present time. French ports had ) been crowded with ships and could r j not accommodate more. 3 Ho pointed out the steady Increase , of arrivals cr anips exceeding 500 tons V ' 1 In French ports since February. ' The debate was then adjourned un-v. un-v. til tomorrow. ''- Merchant marine losses by quarters i, ' as given by Deputy Cels were as fol- ,' ' 10TV3' 1915 First quarter, 132,657; second, & 295,920; third, 443,194; fourth, 336,662. 1916 First quarter, 388,140; second, 'l- 323,246; third. 497,195; fourth, 926,617. 1917 First quarter, 1,300,000; sec- - ond quarter as far as reported, 800,000. |