THE SHIPS PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 88, 7 January 1918, Page 5

THE SHIPS PROBLEM

THE LOSS IN BRITISH TONNAGE New York, January 4. Mr. Charles Grasty, London correspondent of the "tfew York Times," has learned from a liigh source that the tonnage of British ships of more than 1600 tons prior to the war aggregated 16,841,519 tons. The net after deducting captures, purchases, and new construction, amount to 2,750,000 tons. The present tonnage is 14,091,519.— Ans.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE NORWEGIAriANDDANISH LOSSES ' (Reo. January 6, 5.5 p.m.) Copenhagen, January 5. During 1917 867 Norwegian ships, amounting to 566,000 tons, were torpedoed. Norway now possesses 1669 ships totalling 1,996,000 tons, and is constructing ships totalling 91,000 tons. Last year 215 Danish ships, amounting to 223,012 tons, were sunk, and 234 Danes were killed.—Renter. BUILDING OPERATIONS IN CANADA Ottawa, January 4. The Government has decided to un« dertake the building of steel ships on an extensive scale, the vessels to be of from five io six thousand tons. Tho existing shipyards will be utilised, nnd now ones established, and encouragement will be given to steel plants, with the object cf enabling Canada to produce its'own ship plates.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

AMERICA'S CONVOY SYSTEM THE REAR-ADMIRAL IN CHARGE REMOVED. New York, January 4. Rear-Admiral Fletcher, who was in charge of the convoy system abroad, has been removed as a result of tfco Antilles investigation.—Ann.-A o. Cable Assn. CONFERENCE oTsTEAMSHIP LINES ENEMY LINES EXCLUDED. (Rec. January 6. 5.5 p.m.) London, January 5. The Anglo-French steamship lines trading in the North Atlantic have formed a conference, known as the Atlantic Conference, with a view to agreement upon the passenger trade. The conference exoludes enemy lines which were members before the war.— Reuter. THE GERMANSUBMARINES NEARLY HALF SUNK BY THE ALLIES. (Rec: January 6, 5.5 p.m.) Rome, January 5. An official veport states: ""The Allies have sunk nearly, half the German submarines operating since the outbreak of the war."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable ABBn .-Reuter.