WORK OF THE NAVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16968, 30 September 1918, Page 5

WORK OF THE NAVY.

WAR'S RESPONSIBILITIES.

Official figures regarding the work of the Navy, apart from actual fighting, since the outbreak of the war, were quoted by Mr. A. Harris, M.P., at the opening of the Navy League's fete at Belmont on Saturday. He said that up to August 31 last, the Navy had transported to allied armies 16,000,000 men, 2,500,000 horses, 30,000,000 tons of explosives, 64,000,000 tons of fuel, and 163,000,000 tons of foodstuffs. Of the 39,000,000 persons who had crossed and r'ecroased the sea, only 3500 had been lost by the action of the enemy. Ninety per cent, of the vessels engaged in the Atlantic trade were convoyed through the danger zone, and the total losses amounted to one in 200. The whole of the North Sea-an area of 140,000 square nautical miles—was swept day and night from north to south, and from east to west Every month battleships, cruisers and destroyers steamed 1,000,000 nautica miles in Home waters. Other naval auxiliary forces, including motor-boats, submarines, and minesweepers, patrolled an additional 6,000,000 nautical miles. During August the blockade squadron in the North Sea and Arctic Ocean performed the almost incredible feat of intercepting and examining every merchant ship trading with neutral European countries The personnel of the Navy, before the war was 146,000. It had now increased to 390.000. including the Royal Naval Air Service, which alone had increased from 700 to 41,000.