Germans Want To Build Bigger Ships

Chronicle (Levin), 20 December 1949, Page 6

Germans Want To Build Bigger Ships

-yr '-» ■ f ^ t r , | • « \ Received Monday, 8 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 19. The Dairly Telegraj)h 's Hamburg cor respondent savs Germanv wants to be allowed to build bigger aifd faster ships (iiiil is compiaining of ' ' imeconomic " iimits under lier pact with the Allies The perniission given Germany under the Petersburg agreement between Dr. Adenauer and the three Allied High Oomiiiissioners, to build an unlimited Muniber of cargo vessels up to 7200 lons gross and 12 knots, was welcomed in nortli Gei'man shipping cireles, but thqre has sinc'e been continuous German erificism of the limits imposed, particu iarlv on speed. It is asserted that the umits render the vessels uneconomic ' except as short distance tramps. Allied opinion is divided on the German ciaims. In some Allied circles it is thought that the .German criticisms are merely a question of prestige. Also the British Admiralty is concerned at. t-he potential use of faster vessels as commerce raiders. Meanwliile, German shipbuilding, with its capacity of not more tlian lialf a million tons annuallv, was not an appreciable threat to the , British industrv which turns out 3,000,000 tons annually.