SUBMARINE LOSSES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16508, 28 April 1919, Page 7

SUBMARINE LOSSES.

A STATEMENT REQUIRED. (FRO SI OT7R OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, February 18. During the war it became quite fashionable amongst certain people in oversea circles to attribute the loss of letters and parcels to the submarining of ships. There is reason to believe that the occasional loss of ships between Now Zealand and Great Britain was used by more or less scrupulous people with very profitable results. Some New Zealand soldiers on active service have complained that practically none of their food parcols arrived. Yet ia the great majority of eases there were very few losses in the wholo course of the war. As a matter of fact, the experience of tlio London office of "Tho Press" goes to show that losses of parcel mails between New Zoaland and London during the wholo period of the war were remarkably small, almost infinitesimal. Tho New Zealand Post Office could probably, without much trouble, publish a return showing what ships carrying parcels or letter mails actually were lest, and could give some idea of the porcentage of these losses. Tho percentage between New Zealand and London would, I feel confident, be infinitesimal, and would not nearly account for tho mysterious and persistent failure of food parcols from certain quarters to reach thoir destination. As a matter of fact, right through the war this office has lost only two copies of the "Weekly Press" and none at all of tho daily papers. Those papers are sent by various routes without any special precautions, and tho fact that they have practically all turned up should bo conclusive evidence that tho submarine pretext cannot be hold responsible for the vast amount of parcels which is claimed to have been lost.