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Show BELITTLES EFFORT BF U S, German Admiral Says America Ameri-ca Is of No Great Assistance to Allies. NEW YORK. June 4 American participation in the war, in the fight against German submarines and In the shipbuilding program were belittled by Vice Admiral von Capelle, German minister of the navy, in his speech in the reichstag a few weeks ago, as reported re-ported by German newspapers received here. "The military help of America in the first year of the war was very little regarding troops and airplanes," declared de-clared Von Capelle. "The expectation of our enemies has been greatly disappointed dis-appointed If America later wants to maintain half a million troops in France It will need permanently a rrelght space (In steamships) of about 2,000,000 tons which again would be depreciated from the service of supplying her allies. "According to American and British statements, the participation of such a large army Is no longer involved in this campaign. "In order to carry out the gigantic American program of shipping construction, con-struction, the shipyards must first be built In 1917, America, following all her huge promises, built 750.000 gross tons of Bea-going ships The large merchant fleet which America has ordered or-dered is not being built for the war, but in order to take the place of England Eng-land as the world's shipper after the war when the ships will have been completed ' Discussing the ecenomlc situation created by America's entrance into the war. Yon Capelle pointed out that the United States was the most important source of supplies for the entente nations, na-tions, but. he added: "Owing to the tremendous armament arma-ment program of President Wilson, Mich economic difficulties have devel oped that America, the land of export, must now begin to ration herself Instead, In-stead, as had been hoped, to aid the ! entente nations in increasing measures. meas-ures. All In all. It can be said that the economic difficulties of our enemies ene-mies have been Increased by Amerl-1 Amerl-1 ca's entrance into the war " In reply to charges that, the German Ger-man submarine building program was ! not progressing as rapidly as It should, Von Capelle admitted that J Germany's enemies had attained cer- tain successes In their defensive measures against the U-boats. "But," he added, "they have at no time affected af-fected the U-boat warfare in any way (decisively and. according to foresight will not be able to do so In the future. "The American U-boat chasers over which much fuss has been made, are a failure. "The convoy system which gives the I ships a certain protection on the other 'hand has great disadvantages. There ! is not a day in which one or several : ships are not shot out of convoys." oo |