BRITAIN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 1682, 2 June 1919, Page 3

BRITAIN.

NATIONAL SHIPYARDS. GOVERNMENT POLICY DEFENDED By Electric Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable As3n, LONDON, May 29. Sir Eric Geddes, in the House of Commons, warmly defended the policy of building destroyers at the expense of merchantmen, otherwise the sea, so far. as merchantmen "were concerned, would have been our weaker front, and would have necessitated withdrawing men. from the army. The Government's action had made the transport of American troops. The submarine sinkings had created one of the gravest situations of the war, and the Government did the right thing in establishing national shipyards. It would have been guilty of criminal neglect if it had not made every effort to supply ships. DISPUTE ABOTJT MUNITIONS. Lord French declines to discuss the shell dispute, but denies Lord Kitchener's version of the position in April, 1915. ' SHIPPING CONTROL. Speaking on the Ministry of Shipping vote, Colonel Leslie Wilson said that some control of shipping was necessary for demobilisation and repatriation. The Ministry had handed over building contracts for 159 ships to British owners who suffered losses during the war. The Ministry had also sold sixtvcight ships to British owners, and fiity-seven to ioreigueis. Altogether the Ministry had received £19,500,000 for ships, which cost £16,500,000. British ships over 500 tons in pre-war times aggregated 18,500,000 tons and this was reduced to 15,300,000 tons. At the beginning of 1919 the United States war tonnage was 1,700,000 tons; it was now 6,400,000. Britain constructed 551,629 tons since the armistice. MR HUGHES BUSY. LONDON, May 25. Mr W. 31. Hughes is actively engaged in London in connection with the terms of the mandatories, the wording of which requires the most careful drafting in order to secure the special interests of the different mandatory States. Mr Hughes is also negotiating with the Supreme Economic Council regarding the sale of Australian products.