SHIPBUILDING POSITION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16833, 25 April 1918, Page 5

SHIPBUILDING POSITION

SIR E. QEDDES'3 APPEAL. ADMIRALTY REORGANISATION. A solemn appeal to employers and men in the shipbuilding industry to increase the output of what Mr. Asquith culled tho essential element to tho success of the allies, was made in the House of Commons on March 6 by Sir Eric Geddes, iMrst Lord of tho Admiralty. A grim recital of figures, showing "a serious decline on tho output of merchant ships, forced him to the conclusion that even at that late date the situation was not fully realisod. The individual piece -worker, ho stated, seemed more ready to-day to lake holidays than last year." "We cannot afford holidays," he declared emphatically, "while there are food queues. As regards merchant shipping lassos. Sir Eric 6aid :—" February was, in comparison with recent standards, a bad month. January was a good one. Assuming the rate of loss in March to be .-is high as that during February, 1 find that the fall, ing curve of the tosses of merchant shipping is continued. Ii during the five months ended February 28 the rate of lose ! had been maintained at tho same level as for the immediately preceding quarter, file shipping of the world would have been nearly 600,000 gross tow less than it is today. The loss of the world's I'oniiage during February is little more than half of the loss sustained during February last year. During the fivo months ended February 28 the loss of the world's tonnage is 10 per cent, lees than the loss during the fivo months ended February 28, 1917, during four months of which unrestricted submarine warfare had not been proclaimed by the enemy. Output May Overtake Destruction. "There is no lack of material in the yards to-day. There uro increasing numbers of men in the yards. But, whereas the average monthly output of merchant shipbuilding in the fourth quarter of 1917

was, roughly, IW.OUO tons, it only reached 58,000 tons in January. It should have been very much larger. February will have nearly twice the output of January, but still only about two-thirds of what the same yards and fewer men have dono in a month. The serious drop in output is mainly duo to labour unrest. The men in the yards aro not working as if the life of tho country depended upon their exertions, nor even as they worked in the l fourth quarter of Inst year. Employers also are not, perhaps, 'in all cases doing all that can bo dono to increase output. "The production of merchant ships in the United Kingdom during January, 1918, fell so far below the average per' mouth • in the preceding quarter that, if improvement is not speedily made, the point where I production balances losses will b* postI poiied to a dangerous extent. To reach an 1 ultimate production at the rate of 3,000,000 I tons a year is, I am advised, well within the present and prospective capacity of our shipbuilding yardß and engineering shops. I If employers hesitate to play their part, J I or if men down tools or go slow for any I ! reason, they will now do so in the know-1 ; ledge of the grievous extent to which they ! are prejudicing the vital necessities of the community. It is still possible that before tho end of the second quarter of 1918 the output of world tonnage may have overtaken destruction by the enemy, but it can only be obtained if we all pull together on the rope. Sinking Submarines as Fast as Built. " I see no reason to depart from my! former opinion that the submarine menace' is held, but not yet mastered. The sub- ! marine is being destroyed in increasing numbers, and, as our methods develop, I feel confident that the numbers will still further increase. It would not be an unduly favourable estimate to say that in recent months the chances against the submarine returning from its voyage in our Home waters aro about one in four or five. For some months now we believe that wo and the American forces have been sinking submarines in Homo waters as fast as tiny have been built. The largo programme of anti-submarine craft and devices which the allied navies embarked upon is boing pushed forward with all possible speed, although the lag in tho mercantile shipbuilding is reflected here also. i "The convoy system has been greatly developed, and is a real success. Over 35.000 ships have been convoyed, and the loss of vessels is very low. One result of the convoy system has been to drive the enemy closer to the shore, thus rendering the open sea considerably safer for navi-, gation. " I " Repairs are to-day occupying more men actually and of' higher skill and grades than is new merchant shipbuilding. This salving of damaged ships is now so efficient that out of all British-owned ships damaged in 1917, only eight have been abandoned, and these have been in. eluded in the published losses. Unity of Allied Effort. " The division of the Board of Admiralty and the reorganisation of Admiralty business has had the effect of freeing the '■ naval staff from administrative details, and I feel confident has at the same time enabled the members, especially the naval members of the board not on the naval staff, to have more knowledge of opera-1 tional matters than they had before. It has also had the effectj" said the First ' Lord, "of expediting business and strengthening and increasing board control. " While dealing with the unity of effort of the allies represented on the Allied Naval Council, I would like to testify to the whole-hearted spirit of comradeship and mutual help in the relations of Versailles and our allies in naval matters. Nothing could exceed the agreement which exists between us all. » Not only between those who are represented upon the Allied Council, but also llioso who are not. and I feel sure the House will be ' interested to learn that the naval forces of tho allies in European waters will shortly be augmented bv a force of Brazilian war vessei6. (Cheere.) " It is perhaps natural that the cooperation between ourselves and our allies the United States should be extremely close, primarily because the exigencies of tho naval situation have dictated that their forces should be based upon • the British ports, taking alternative turns [ with their British comrades, and secondly, because there is no language difficulty to overcome Not only have we the advantage of constant consultation with ViceAdmiral S'ms, the flag officer commanding the United State? forces in European waters, who attends our daily staff conference at the' Admiralty, but we have also American officers working in the various sections of the British Admiralty exactly on the same fontine as British officers. Indeed, the co-operation between the two navies is as nearly complete as possible."