GERMAN SEAMEN.

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 11

GERMAN SEAMEN.

Paul Muller, of Hamburg-, writing- in Hansa, devotes considerable space to the future of the German sailor. Incidentally, in the courses of his remarks, he says:—"Militarily Germany has not»bsen conquered. Neither its army nor its navy have been beaten, but the war has been lost. The German soldiers and. Bailors won tho battles, and the enemy won the war," an argument^ which is very common in Germany, und is a standby of tho reactionary party. However, it has nothing to do with the question of the post-bellum activities of tho German seafaring population. In 1914 there wore 70,000 to 80,000 Germans on German merchant ships. Of theso a quarter have been killed in tho war or have abandoned thessea, but this loss has been balanced by an equal number of men who have been, forced to leave other occupations to become 6ailor3. The disposal of. the Gorman navy under tho Armistice will also mean a groat increase in tho number o£ unemployed sailors, so that tho minimum for which employment has to be found is over 100,000 men. Tho mercantile marine tonnage is already heavily decreased, and will not be able to employ anything like the 80,000 pre-war total of crews. Supply and demand will not balance, and the alternatives are to increase German tonnage or for German seamen to migrate to ships of other flags! There is no immediate prospect of the expansion of tho German tonnage. The yards cannot get material, and both material and labour aro far too costly for contracts to bo offered or taken. In addition, neither owners nor yards oare to close up any business till the peace terms and their economic conditions have been arranged. Muller makes twelve points of what is to be done to ensure employment for tEo sailors, but theso do not contain much of interest, as they are all based on the assumption that Gormany is going to keep all the ships at present in her posesssion or lying in neutral ports. The whole article is, # however, of interest for the reason that it is only another proof of tho utter obtuseness which reigns in German shipping quarters._ Germany is not defeated, she will negotiate peace, she has nothing to bo ashamed of; and German sailors will find a welcome on foreignships. Meanwhile, 300 Gorman minesweepers are to be immediately converted into trawlers, making, with the 220 prewar trawlers, and 80 new ones, some 600 fishing boats, which are expected to absorb 6000 to 7000 men.