THE SHIPPING LOSSES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14213, 2 February 1917, Page 3

THE SHIPPING LOSSES.

STATEMENTS AS TO POSITION. CONSTRUCTION OF, NEW BOATS. EXPECTED ECONOMIC STRUGGLE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Februaiy 1. Norway has lost 200 vessels totalling 350,000 : tons, or 13 per cent. Holland has lost 107,000 tons, or 7 per cent.-, and Sweden 81,000 tons ( or 8 per cent. 1 Since the war Germany has constructsd to June, 1916, 676,990 tons, and has 900,000^ tons cpnsti-ucting. Germany has demobilised a, large number of men to enable her to enter,, on an * economic struggle immediately peace i» declared/ Mr Archibald Hurd, the famous naval writer, m an article m the Daily Tele- 1 graph, says :— - , Since the beginning of August, the enemy has sunk 831 merchantmen, of which 264 were British, 225 Alliedjf ahd 344 neutral. The gravity of the situation is riot altered by the fact that .'a large proportion of the losses are not British. We rely on the world's tonnage. Having embarked half our merchant shipping m naval and military operations, submarines are a .greater peril to them than invasion) Fortunately, we possess the necessary shipyards and engine) shops, and can turn out two hundred or. , more standardised cargo boats m a Reasonable time, providing there is proper organisation. The matter must be taken m hand without delay. ■ : PARIS, February 1. The Bureau Veritas, summing up the merchant ship losses between 1 August 1914 and January 1, says :— • The Germ&n losses were 409 vessels, of which 152 were' destroyed .and 267 captured and" used by the Allies, representing losses of 1,260,000 tons out of &,200,000 toriS' or 24 per cent. The German cruisers, destroyed 126 vessels, of which ,108 xy ere British and the submarines destroyed 1520 ships of 3,000,000 tons, of which .1110 were British ships, totalling 1,300,000 tons, or 11 per cent, of the pre-war fleet. Britain has built ' about 930 ships, so the loss is virtually ; made good. '•< ' . ,'. ■ France's loss i« 12 per cent, of her}! tonnage, and; Italy has lost nt>ne, and i Portugal has. increased her merchant ! navy by 160,000 tons by seizing. German vessels. •' ' IThe Times.) ] LONDON. February 1. ; A Berlin official message says :-^-Onoi: hundred and, fifty two enemy •steamer* ' totalling 329.000 tons and 65 neutral ' vessels carrying contraband were sMnlc during December. tfbur million 'enemy ' , tons, of which 3,000^000 were 'British } \ have been sunk during the war. also 401 .{ neutral vessels of 537,000 tons. ' ; ; h