SHIPS IN RESERVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 7

SHIPS IN RESERVE.

DUTCH INDIES SCHEME

(Rec.d. 12.30 p.m.) BATAVIA, April 13.

The Netherlands East Indies Government is watching Allied shipping losses with a view if necessary of diverting a further portion of its lar«e mercantile fleet for the carriage of supplies to Britain. A considerable portion of the K.P.M. fleet is sailing under Admiralty orders. The rest is controlled by the Netherlands East Indies naval commander. Some ship*, however, are still being used for noUW#r service, and if necessary can be assigned for war duties.

1 estimonv to the accuracy of the weekly figures of British shipping losses was given by the statement from competent circles in London that the day-to-day source from which the figures are compiled is precisely the same as that upon which the Ministry of Shipping bases its plans for the use of shipping to fulfil its obligations of transporting troops, supplies, raw materials and foodtsufTs, says a British Official Wireless message.

The figures given are always gross, and there is absolutely no truth in the German allegations that the net tonnage figures arc used. The weekly returns are corrected when subsequent information discloses that further ships have been lost or are safe. These lists sometimes make unhappy reading, but be they light or heavy the totals given in thorn are strictly accurate.