SEA WAR IN 1941

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1941, Page 8

SEA WAR IN 1941

MERCHANT LOSSES

ENERGETIC BUILDING

.LONDON, February 4.

. The Minister of Shipping, Mr. [Cross, referring lo our shipping I losses in London today, said this year i would be a hard year in which some Fof the most important, if not the most important, aspects of the battle would be at sea, but there were many good reasons why we should look to 1942 in a more sanguine frame of mind. By that time our strength in the field, in the air, and at sea should be far greater than it was today.

He could not say what contribution -the United States proposed to make for merchant shipping, but he had no doubt that the help the United States would give to this country in ,the way of aircraft, tanks, and many other munitions of war would be parallel to assistance to our vital communications.

He went on to say that it would be imprudent to assume that the reduc-tion-in our shipping losses would, be a permanent feature, and he would not disguise the fact that our losses were in excess of our replacements, but we could look forward with confidence as our air and naval strength grew to an increasing volume of protection for the ships which carried cargoes to these islands.

The building of merchant ships in this country was being pushed forward with energy, and Empire shipbuilding yards were also providing new tonnage to help Britain to beat the Üboat menace.