TWO YEARS OF SEA WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2943, 1 December 1916, Page 5

TWO YEARS OF SEA WAR

THE MERCANTILE MARINE'S LOSSES

GERMAN CLAIMS EXPOSED

Tho French publicist, M. . Georges Bourgarel, writing in "L'Economisto Europeen" on tho subject of tho losses of tho mercantile marino during tho war, says:—Another Gorman Ho which has to bo exposed. The "Wolff" Agency, commenting some days ago on tho losses of the mercantile marina of tho various countries, without speaking about that of Germany, produced figures,which led up to tho following conclusion: "The total result of tho two years of war for tho mercantile marine of England and her Allies moans nothing else than an irreparable loss of material and prestige." However, wo havo seen tho statistics published by tho Bureau Veritas—the authority and exactness of which nobody can deny—which put tho matter right. These statistics aro divided into two parts: The first extends over the period from August 1, 1914, till Decomber 31, 1915, and tho second refers to tho four months of the current year, i.e., from January 1 till April 30. First period, Second period, Aug. 1,1911, Jan.-l, till till Dec. 31,1915. April 30,191 G. Steamers. Gross Gross Flags. No. tonnage'. No. tonnage. British 436 1,069,206 107 353,057 German 347 1,011,870 7 13,853 Austrian '... 47 168,758 1 4,424 French 29. 85,607 16 46,005 Norwegian ... 58 62,131 18 22,582 Italian 11 34,429 7 15,943 Bussian 15 29,308 3 6,947 Swedish 17 23,248 5 8,229 Dutch 10 19,179 10 29,273 Belgian 8 16,228 3 6,710 'Greek 5 10,794 1 4,909 Danish 5 9,051 7 9,145 Turkish 6' 8,147 30 38,704 Japanese 2 6,211 1 3,217 Spanish 2 3,761 4 8,972 American ... 1 1,921 — — Portuguese ... 1 623 — — Brazilian ... — — ■ 1 2,258 Totals ... 980 2,560,563 ' 224 574,228 Sailing Gross Gross vessels. No. tonnage. No. tonnage. German ..... 87 80,734 — — Norwegian ... 24 20,358 5 ' 11,360 French 10 17,387 8 8,988 British 74 15,617 .24 10,729 Eussian 8 8,165 2 1,173 American ... 2 5,278 '— — Italian I! 2,725 — — Swedish 7 2,286 2 790 Belgian 1 2,208 - . - Danish It 1,393 2 501 Austrian 1 235 — — Totals. ... 228 156,388 43 35,541 . This represents a total of 1475 vessels, the gross tonnage being 3,324,725't0n5, which, on tho world's tonnage of 50 million tons, is equivalent to a loss of a little over 6 per cent. In this total tho Allied nations figure as follows: No. Tons. British s.s; 543 1,422,353 „ !.'..; sailing v.... 98 26,316 French ! s.s 45 131,612 , sailing v.... 18 26,375 Italian s.s 18 50,372 „ ..; sailing v.... 3 2,725 Eussian s.s 18 36,255 „ sailing v.... 10 9,338 Belgian .'..... s.s 11 22,938 sailingv.... 1 2J2OS Japanese' s.s 3 9,428 , ; sajlwg.v.... — — Portuguess 5.3 1 623 Total .....'. 769 1,710,573 On the other hand, the loss of tho enemy nations represents the following total: Gross No. tonnage. German s.s : 351 1,025,723 „ sailingv.... 87 80,734 Austrian s.s 48 173,182 „ sailingv.... 1 235 Turkish s.s 36 16,851 Total 528 1,326,725 The losses of tho Allied countries are considerably higher than those of the enemy group, but they are not so high as they were estimated by tho Germans, The total tonnage of Germany prior to the war amounted to about 6 million tons. Therefore a loss of 1,106,457 tons represents, for her a deficit of over 18 per cent.. On the other hand, England's total tonnage exceeded 21 million tons; and the lost 1,448,699 tons represents, only 7 per cent, of the total tonnage.' ■ It is true the Germans can pretend that part of their losses has been recuperated by Allied vesels seized ■in their ports, especially in Hamburg. But only about 63 steamers and four sailing boats, totalling a gross tonnage of 142,936 tons, are in question there, all the other vessels haying been sunk, and therefore lost. Besides this recuperation does not even compensate the sales which the Germans have effected, apart.from their properly socalled losses, i.e., 33 steamers, of a total gross tonnage of 162,750 tons, sold to the Government of the United States;_ three steamers totalling 8884 tons, transferred to Norway; three others of 5939 tons, sold to Holland; and two, representing a gross tonnage of 6115 tens, ceded to Turkey. That is a total of 41 steamers, of a total gross tonnage of 183,688 tons. In these figures aro not included the 63 vessels, representing 196,407 tons, disarmed and requisitioned by the Portuguese Government, and which are now under tlw Portuguese flag. The following table shows tho number and tonnage of ships seized.by the Allies,' totalling IS9 steamers, of 611,931 tons, thus composed:— Steamers. Gross tonnage. British 126 490,032 French S 19,995 Japanese 1 11,306 Eussian 51 90,598 Great Britain's deficit, therefore, is considerably reduced by this fact. In any case, out of a total of 1343, which Germany possessed before tho war, only 935 remained on December 31, 1915. _ The German company which has sustained tho greatest loss in ships is the Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt A.G., of Hamburg, with 48 vessels out of a total of 205; then follow tho Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts Gesellscliaft "Hansa," of Bremen, with 36 ship out of 74; "Kosmos," of Hamburg, with 29 ships out of 59; the Norddeutscher Lloyd, of Bremen, with 28 ships out of 142; the Deutsche Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft, of Hamburg, with 27 ships out of 38, etc. We cannot finish without mentioning that tho neutral countries also did not cscapo losses, as their lost steamers and vessels amounted on April 30 to 180 vessels of a total gross tonnage of 257,427 tons. Norway suffered most. Unfortunately, tho submarine war is not finished yet, and sinco April 30 new losses have been registered. It is truo they aro very grievous to the Allies; but Germany partly pays for thorn already by tho increasing difficulties which sho is experiencing in provisioning herself from outside and which place her in such an awkward position.