SHIPPING POSITION IMPROVING.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17065, 18 August 1917, Page 5

SHIPPING POSITION IMPROVING.

GREAT INCREASE IN BUILDING.

Received August 17, 8.3 0 p.m. LONDON, August 16. Mr. Lloyd George, continuing, said the Germans claimed that we were losing half a million tons of shipping monthly after allowing for new construction. In April, we lost 5 65,000 tons gross, but the gross losses in July were reduced to 320,000 tons. August looked like being better. If the present improvement, continued the nett loss in July and August would be a the rate of 175,000 tons per month. These figures showed that the Admiralty were meeting with considerable success. The Shipping Controller had so reorganised shipping that, although we had diminished tonnage we were carrying more tons. Shipbuilding was being quickened. Many ships had been ordered abroad. A total of 688,000 tons were built in Britain in 1915, 538,000 tons in 1916, 480,000 tons during the first six months of 191Y and the last six months of 1917, 1,420,000 tons would be'acquired, of which 1,110,000 were built in Britain, making a total for the year of [1.900,000 tons, besides. large navai construction. He believed shipping losses would decrease and he was certain that construction would increase. We still needed more shipping, but if the United States extended to their full capacity, as doubtless they were preparing to do, we would have sufficient tonnage not only for the'whole of 1918, but, if necessary, for 1919.