GERMANY'S MERCANTILE MARINE

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

GERMANY'S MERCANTILE MARINE

The Kolnischo Zeitung, in tho course of an interesting article, deals with the losses of the German mercantile marine during tho war, and its present position after deducting all probable losses, apparently with a view _to showing its readers that, notwithstanding the losses, German tonnage will still bo sufficient to make- Germany one of the principal shipping- nations. It is pointed out that, when war broko out, there were- 5£ million - tons gross sailing under the "German flag, which is reduced to 3.7 million tons at the present time. Of this tonnage 2£ millions aro in Home waters or tho immediate neighbourhood thereof, three-quarters of a million aro in ports in neutral counr tries, 625,000 tons liave been requisitioned by neutrals for their use, and 65,000 tons are placed in enemy hands by tho ATmistice, tho remaining 1.8 million tons being reckoned as lost. It is also assumed that, of tho ships in German home waters, 250,000 tons have been lost on war service (ib being added that this estimate is undoubtedly high), so thol.thero are still' 34 million tons in German ownership. To this, it is^ stated, must bo added the ships built during, tho war, which amount to at least 1,000,000 tons, so that the Gorman mercantile marine at tho present 'time still comprises about 4i>- million tons. While, undoubtedly, these statements are intended to encourage tho enemy, Allied readers will also find satisfaction in the figures, in view of the fact that they expect tho losses caused by tho submarine piracy to bo made good out of German tonnage.