2.  The loss of merchant ships is bringing about a crisis in the military and economic conditions of the Allies;

3.  England, as the heart of the Entente, must be harmed before peace can be made;

4.  Submarines can and must end the war.

This book is for the German people a naval text book as General von Bernhardi’s book, “Germany and the Next War,” was a military text book.  Bernhardi’s task was to school Germany into the belief in the unbeatableness of the German army.  Hollweg’s book is to teach the German people what their submarines will accomplish and to steal the people for the plans her military leaders will propose and carry through on this basis.

The keynote of Hollweg’s arguments is taken from the words of the German song:  “Der Gott der Eisen wachsen Liesz,” written by Ernst Moritz Arndt.  Hollweg quotes this sentence on page 23: 

“Lieber ein Ende mit Schrecken, als ein Schrecken ohne Ende.”

("Rather an end with Terror than Terror without End.”)

In the chapter on “The Submarine War and Victory” the writer presents the following table: 

Status of merchant ships in 1914: 

Sunk or
Captured Percentage

England (Exclusive of
colonies) ..........  19,256,766    2,977,820       15.5
France ..............   2,319,438      376,360       16.2
Russia ..............   1,053,818      146,168       13.8
Italy ...............   1,668,296      314,290       18.8
Belgium .............     352,124       32,971        9.3
Japan ...............   1,708,386       37,391        0.22

(Figures for Dec. 1916 estimated)
The World Tonnage at beginning of war was.... 49,089,553
Added 1914-16 by new construction............ 2,000,000
----------
51,089,553

Of this not useable are: 

Tonnage Germany ... 5,459,296
Austria ... 1,055,719
Turkey ... 133,158

In Germany and Turkey
held enemy
shipping .......... 200,000

Ships in U. S. A... 2,352,764

Locked in Baltic and
Black Sea .........    700,000

Destroyed enemy
tonnage ...........  3,885,000
----------
Total             13,785,937

Destroyed neutral
tonnage (estimated) 900,000
----------
14,685,937

Requisitioned by enemy countries for war purposes, transports, etc.

England .......  9,000,000
France ........  1,400,000
Italy .........  1,100,000
Russia ........    400,000
Belgium .......    250,000
----------
12,150,000
----------
26,835,937
----------
Remaining for world freight transmission still
useable at the beginning of 1917............  24,253,615 tons

To the Entente argument that Germany has not considered the speedy construction of merchant ships during war time the author replies by citing Lloyd’s List of December 29, 1916, which gave the following tonnage as having been completed in British wharves: