SEIZED OR SUNK

Otago Witness, Issue 3249, 21 June 1916, Page 44

SEIZED OR SUNK

THE, WAR TOLL. It is possible for the first time (writes Archibald Hurd in the Daily Telegraph of February 24) to give a complete conspectus of the heavy losses which the mercantile marines of the world have sulfered since the opening of hostilities. For some time past details have been issued of ships under the mercantile flags which have been seized or sunk, and it is now practicable to complete a picture of the ravages which war has wrought, to the embarrassment of all the nations and their menace owing to the high prices of foods and other commodities. Owing to the courtesy of Admiral E. F. Ingleiield, the secretary of Lloyd’s —who is, by the way, an editor as well as a naval officer, since ho now has in charge Lloyd’s L.st, a daily publication with a circulation in every part of the globe—l have been able to compile statistics which reveal the extent of the interference with ocean commerce owing to war conditions, which has occurred down to January 22 last. Admiral Inglefiold's staff has kept a. record of every ship, whatever the nationality, which lias been detained, captured, or destroyed, which in summary is us under :

These figures indicate the influence which hostilities have had on the world’s carrying trade. LOSSES OF THE ALLIES. It may be interesting first to take the losses which have been sustained by the British Merchant Navy under the various heads. They are as follow : BRITISH. No. Tonnage.

The loss is larger than might have been anticipated. The figures will serve a useful purpose if they forcibly remind all consumers that the number of vessels available to carry things they want is now restricted, and that the road to cheaper living lies in the direction of self-denial and economy. If the volume of goods to bo carried is decreased by cutting off luxuries, the competition for carriage will decrease and the rates of freight will fall. Thus the nation may help to save itself from one of the greatest inconveniences of the war —the high prices which are now ruling. The nations which are fighting with us have also suffered heavy casualties at the hands of tho enemy, as the appended statement shows: —

WHAT THE ENEMIES HAVE SUFFERED. The next series of figures deals with the merchant fleets of the enemies. The Germans and Austrians were able to employ wireless telegraphy in the early days of the. war to warn most of their merchant ships to make for the nearest neutral ports. They thus saved no small part of their merchant fleets from capture by the allied fleets. But, nevertheless, their losses have been considerable, and, fortunately, we have not, as a rule, destroyed our prizes, but have given the most serviceable of them crews and are now using them for our own purposes. Our Allies have also followed the same course; Portugal has this week taken similar action. The losses of Germany and her principal partner have been as follow ; GERMAN.

Tn isolation this aggregate tonnage is an impressive figure, but it must also bo remembered that for over 19 months all tho rest of the mercantile marines of these two countries have not only been earning no

profits during a period of unprecedentedly high freights, but have been a heavy charge for_ upkeep, harbour dues, and care and maintenance. There remains the record of Turkey. Hero the figures are necessarily incomplete, hue probably to-day Turkey, owing to the ravages of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea and British and French submarines in tho Sea of Marmora, has hardly a merchant ship of any size afloat. This circumstance must bo handicapping her grievously in her military operations, particularly in maintaning the supplies for her troops in tho more distant fields of operations. Such figures as Lloyd’s possess are as under; TURKISH. (Mostly of Small Tonnage.) Xo. Detained in U.K. ports 4 Detained in oversea British ports ... 45 Captured by British ... 11 Sunk or damaged in Black Sea or Sea of Marmora 59 Captured and sunk by Allies 2 Captured by Allies 5 124 HOW NEUTRALS HAVE BEEN HIT. What is perhaps tho most remarkable feature of these returns is the heavy toll which neutral States have suffered. They are merely spectators in the war, but, nevertheless, Germany has acted towards their shipping in an arbitrary manner unknown in any previous war, without regard for tho dictates of humanity or the laws of nations. Many of tho ships captured have since been released, but, as will be scon from tho following figures, neutral States have a serious grievance against an enemy who has recognised only one law —that of his own necessity. NEUTRAL.

* Many of those have since been released. Their nationalities wore ns follow: Swedish, 346; Norwegian, 57; Danish, 41; Dutch, 15 ; American, 6 ; Greek, 4. tOf these 91 are stated to have boon sunk by German submarines, and one by an Austrian. In two cases the nationality is not stated. This assembly of figures goes some way to explain why to-day there is a shortage of merchant tonnage. To this record ot detention, capture, and destruction let there bo added the extent to which the Allies have had to requisition shipping for naval and military purposes, and the number of Gorman and Austrian vessels shut into neutral ports, and some connection can bo formed of the grave effect of the war on the carrying trade of the world. , It is true that the enemies have been unable to use their own ships. That has profited the world in general little, apart from such ns have been manned by the Allies. Germany and Austria-Hungary have been utilismg neutral tonnage in order to obtain goods of which they stand in need, every effort being made to obtain supplies through neighbouring neutral States. For this convenience they have willingly paid fancy rates, thus raising freight rates for the whole world. Consequently, the very desperation of the enemies, which has driven them to endeavour to trade through neutral ports, has added to the shortage of tonnage available for meeting the needs of the Allies and neutrals.

Number. Tonnage. British ... 485 1,506,415 Allied ... 157 232,178 Gorman ... ... 601 1,276.560 Austrian ... 80 267,664 Turkish ... 124 Uncertain. Neutral ... 736 441,472 Totals ... 2193 5,774,289

Detained in German ports on outbrea k of war 80 171,603 Detained m Turkish ports... 9 12.496 Captured and sunk by enemy 56 231.589 Captured by enemy 3 9.111 Sunk by submarines 225 746.463 i )amaged bv submarines 27 129,281 Bunk my Damaged mines or explosions by mines or explo53 103,548 sions .. 28 94.191 Damaged by aircraft 4 485 5,128 1,506,415

ALLIED. No. Tonnage. Detained in enemy ports ... 37 23,481 Captured and sunk by enemy 15 38,161 Captured by enemy 14 10,111 Sunk by submarines 73 178.562 Damaged by submarines ... 5 11,553 Sunk by mines or explosions 21 17,439 Damaged by mine or explosion 1 2,866 Sunk by aircraft 1 — 167 282,178

2s T o. Tonnage. Detained in U.K. ports on outbreak of war 70 84.716 Do in oversea British ports 90* 134,808 Seized on entering British ports 23 95,279 Detained in Egyptian ports 18 85,038 Captured in German colonial ports 28 63,870 Captured and sunk by British 9 31,424 Captured by British 74189.402 Detained in Belgian ports 89 163,171 Detained in French and Russian ports 95 142,936 Detained in Italian ports... 36 155,866 Captured and sunk by the Allies 5 6,456 Captured by the Allies 31 44,308 Sunk by submarines 20 49,480 Damaged by submarines ... 9 20,755 Sunk by mines or explo.v’on 4 6,081 Totals 601 1,276,590 * Including lighters, tugs, dhows , etc. AUSTRIAN No. Tonnage. Detained in U.K. ports ... . . 13 37,929 Detained in oversea British 7 28,056 11.629 Detained in Egyptian ports 3 Captured and sunk by British 1 2.223 Captured by British . 7 52.688 Detained in Belgian ports . 2 5.873 Detained in French and l\ussian ports . 14 48.464 Detained in Italian ports . . 23 79,777 Captured and sunk by tho . 1 1,006 13,426 Captured by the Allies ... . . 4 Damaged by submarine ... . . 1 3,125 Sunk by mines or explosions 4* 3,468 80 267,654

Xo. Tonnage. Captured by British 40 80,617 Captured by Allies 12 18,216 Captured and sunk by enemy 6 11.259 Captured bv enomv ... 459* — Sunk by submarines 92f 122,182 Damaged by submarines... 9 24*734 Sunk bj mines or explosion 94 125,446 Damaged by mines or explosion 14 59.018 Tot als 736 441,472