FRENCH MERCANTILE MARINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 11

FRENCH MERCANTILE MARINE.

> ■ TO OBTAIN STATE BACKING, j A MOVEMENT TO BE WATCHED, j (From Our Own Correspondpnt.) j _ LONDON, May 29. ' ' The complications introduced into the shipping trade by the war and the reactions of partial and in some cases complete control assumed by the State still affect international shipping conditions. America has had its experiment .in State shipping, Canada is coquetting with a scheme and now it is announced' that France is taking a hand. We are told .that: "A plan is on foot in France to build up a bigger mercantile marine. This should be closely watched, and the claim that the French Marine' Service was badly hit by the war needs to. be -.carefully examined. All told, it is doubtful whether a million tons of French-shipping was put down by the German TJ-boats, whereas the British merchant marine lost fully 8,000,000 tons, besides thousands of valuable lives. The French Government now proposes to establish what will be known as a "Credit Maritime." This aims at building-up a big merchant marine with State funds. Shipowners will receive special facilities as regards borrowing money for the purpose of laying down new ships, aiid it is proposed to grant a subsidy to Frencli shipowners to enable them to meet foreign competition. i I