WORLD'S SHIPPING

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 85, 7 October 1933, Page 26

WORLD'S SHIPPING

OVER TWENTY YEARS

JAPAN'S RISE

(By "Martingale.")

Last week a resume of the present world position in shipping figures was given. Looking back over the past twenty years one is led to draw some conclusions which were not altogether expected, and which the general public by no. means realisos. How many, people know that in 1913 there were more vessels—though of a slightly smaller tonnage—in the United Kingdom, than there are today? And how-; many realise that in- 1923 there was a greater number of vessels — of greater tonnage, too—in the United Kingdom than at present? The following tables show the position, both for tho Kingdom and the Empire, from 1913 to 1933:— , : United Kingdom. ■ No', of . Gross vessels. tonnage. 1913 8514 ' 18,273,944 "1923 ............8694 19,281,549 1933 • .-... 7705 18,700,739 Tho Empire. 1913 10,009 19,849,167 1923 11,135 22,058,112 1933 .10,233, 21,819,687 From these "figures it will bo seen that tho intensive scrapping policy which has place in recent years is having a considerable effect ou tho numerical strength of tho ' Empire as a whole; • However, it is certainly well to appreciate that tho scrapping of obsolete torinage / is a wise move. Useless laid-up shipping can by no means establish a nation's strength ,at sea. And.probably it is not known that, during.the past two decades, Japan and Norway are the only major nations to have shown marked increases. Japan has today almost three times more gross tonnage than she had- in 1913; Norway has over twice as much. Other nations to show increases are Sweden, Italy, Greece, Holland, and Germany. America showed a remarkable in-

ereasrf'from 1913 to 1923, her tonnage becoming almost four as great '{from 4,302,294 to 16,945,363). By this year, however, she had dropped. back over three" million, tons, having now 3845 vessels afloat as against 5416 ten years ago. France, too, has slipped, though not very considerably. Germany shows this year an increase of almost one and a half millions on 1923 figurbs, but she is over three-quarters of a million ton's below her 1913 position —4,743,046 tons. It. is probably of interest' to learn the actual positipns held by the nations over this period. Pride of place for the ten major nations at intervals of ten years is:—■ ; 1913 ~ ■"■'., 192SJ, .' ' .1033.., . Britain , ' Britain Britain Germapy i ' ■. America America America France ■ Jajyin Norway :' Japan - - ■ 'Norway France ■ Italy , Germany Japan ' Holland France Holland ' Germany Italy 'Austro-Hunitary Norway Holland • Sweden, • SpaJn . Sweden Spain Sweden Groeco From (this table it can be seen, just why Japan has'in recent years spread tentacles across the: world. Whereas in 1913 she, had 1037 vessels, in 1923 she had 2003, and this year she has 2019. , -Her policy has been one of rapid scrapping and rapid construction. This means that the greater portion of her oceangoing'tonnage is modern. It means, also; that she is establishing a definite hold on world trade. A similar position is indicated generally, however, larger ships being constructed to. replace obsolete tonnage. World /figures, over,the past twenty years are:— . . No. of Gross. ; : vessels^ tonnage. 1913 . „.. . 23,897 43,079,177 1923 ......... 33,507 65,166,233 1933 ....... 31,700 C 7,920,185 Of the 1933 figures ships to the total of 13,500,000 tons are at present idle. Many of these vessels have become obsolete with age. Upwards of 9000 cf the: world's ships (nearly twelve million tons), were buiit twenty-five or more years ago, and there are upwards of 3000, of. more than; six and a half million tons, between twenty and twenty-five years old. Not all of these are ocean-going vessels, but a large number are. It is estimated that probably two-thirds of the ships, now laid up will never go to sea again.