SUBMARINE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14667, 22 March 1918, Page 5

SUBMARINE.

MENACE BEING MET AND MASTERED.

SPEECH BY SIR; ERIC GEDDES.

WORLD'S LOSSES DURING THE

WAR,

THE SITUATION IMPROVING,

CONSTRUCTION OF MERCANTILE TONNAGE.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and lleuter.)

(Received March 21, 7.45 p.m.) -v London,- March 20. bpeaking in the House of Commons, Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, stated that the British losses during tre war period totalled 20 per cent. The world's tonnage had fallen 2£ per cent. The actual world's sinkings during the year ended January wero roughly six million tons1, though Germany claimed to have siyik 9$ million tons. Britain in tie fourth quarter of 1917 constructed 420,000 tons, and the Allies and neutrals 512,000 tons. The world's shipping losses in the fourth quarter of last year totalled 1,200,000 tons. It was the lowest quarter during the war, but the current quarter would probably be lower. Tie British losses in the same quarter! avbraged, 260,000 a * month, and i British shipbuilding 140,000 tons' a month. Although these'figures were reassuring, the January and February results were disappointing. . He toped with confidence that the country realised the need for a supreme effort. Sir Eric Geddes stated that the world's ocean-going tonnage at the beginning of the war, excluding enemy tonnage? was 33,000,000 tons. Referring to tre percentage of losses, he said the reason of the great losses' of the British was mainly due to submarinism being specially directed against Britain with the object of starving us. He declared that it was well within tie capacity of the Allied yards, and even of the British yards before very long, with a proper &ipply of material and man-power, to replace entirely the world's losses on the present figures, Tre output of new British tonnage in 1915 and 1916 was very low, and before intense submarinism began we were over 1,300,000 tons to the bad. At present 47 large British shipyards were wholly engaged in the construction of ocean-going merchantmen. We had enormously increased the output of repaired tonnage. Tre present need was skilled labour. We were gradually getting skilled labour from the Army, 1800 skilled and workers, had been returned to the yards up to March 18th, and 885 others were demobilising. The difficulties were gradually being overcome, and he believed tr at the problem was in a fair way to solution. Sir Eric Geddes confirmed the appointment of Lord Pjrrie as ControllerGeneral of Merchant Shipping, under the First Lord. Lord Pirrie would not be of the Board of Admiralty, but ho would have direct access to tre Premier and the War Cabinet in connection with shipping questions.