THE SHIPPING WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 42, 18 August 1917, Page 7

THE SHIPPING WAR

MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S SURVEY

THE TIME FOR PATIENCE AND UNITY

'(AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION AND REUTBR.)'

LONDON, 16th August.

In the House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd George delivered an important speech covering several aspects of the war. He declared that the food situation had considerably improved. In August last there was in stock 6,500,000 quarters of wheat. The country now had 8,500,000. The oats and barley stocks were also higher. There had been a considerable saving in bread consumption, while the acreage under cultivation had increased by a million. If the harvest was as good as it promised to be, then the condition of the country's food supplies, taking everything into account, was very satisfactory. He still urged the need for economy, because the more we economised the less we would need from Canada and the United States, from which countries France and Italy also drew their supplies. The country's reserves of sugar had been increased.

The Prime Minister Baid that the Germans had claimed that we were losing half a million tons of shipping monthly. After allowing for new construction in April, we lost 565,000 tons gross, but the gross losses for July were reduced to 320,000 tons, and the returns for August looked like being better. "If the present rate of improvement continues," he said, "our net loss for July and August will be at the rate of 175,000 tons per month. These figures show that the Admiralty is meeting with considerable success. The Shipping Controller (Sir Joseph Maclay) has so reorganised the shipping that, although we have a diminished tonnage, we are carrying more tons. The rate of shipbuilding is being quickened, and many new ships have been ordered abroad." He gave a statement of the rate of progress in British construction as follows :—There were 688,000 tons built in Britain in 1915, 538,000 tons in 1916, and 480,000 tons during the first six months of 1917. During the last six months of 1917, 1,420,000 tons would be .acquired, of which 1.100,000 tons would be built in Britain, making a total for the year of. 1,900,0(30 tons, besides large naval construction.

To this achievement, said Mr. Lloyd George, hjid to be added a large programme of naval construction. He believed that our shipping losses would decrease. He felt certain that our construction would increase. We still needed more shipping, but if the United States is extended to her full capacity, as doubtless she is preparing to do, we would have sufficient tonnage not only for the whole, of 1918, but if necessary for 1919. Dealing with the military situation, Mr. Lloyd George declared that he would not exchange our position for the enemy's. Our difficulties would diminish and our powers increase as the enemy's difficulties increased and his powers diminished. 1 He read a telegram from the front regarding the latest offensive, which, he said, was not intended to be a big operation. The telegram stated that severe fighting hid been continued, but the result had not yet been determined. The Canadian infantry had won a conspicuous success, and had captured Langemarck, taking- 1200 prisoners and five guns. Concluding his speech, the Prime Minister said : "This is the supreme hour for patience, courage, endurance, hope, and unity. Let us go through this hour with the old temper of our race, that will enable us to destroy a great military despotism, so that next year we and the world will begin to reap the fruits of our valour." [Going back to 1892, Lloyd's Calendar shows that the above forecast of--1,300,000 tons for the 1917 construction has been exceeded only once, in 1913, when the steam tonnage launched reached 1,919,578.] A BLOW AT PACIFIST PROPAGANDA (AUSTHALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received August 18, 8.25 a.m.) LONDON, 17th Augupt, It is considered in the lobbies that Mr. Lloyd George's speech will tend to consolidate the political situation. It is the best answer to the Pope's Note, and will strike a blow at .the pacifist propaganda, which has been making headway in' Great Britain during the past fortnight.