PRGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 153, 18 March 1918, Page 4

PRGRESS OF THE WAR

, Announcing in the House of Commons that Slit Enic Geddes would probably bo able on Wednesday next to stato the actual losses of Shipping tonnage, Mr. Bonar Law hinted that to most people the disclosure would bo staggering. Hithorto the usual practice of the British Government has been to state only net losses of shipping— that is to say, the extent , to which losses have exceeded replacements—and returns complete in all details have been withheld. Afc the end of last November Sir Eric Geddes stated that the total net reduction at that data since the beginning of the war in tonnage of British ships of 1600 tons and over was 2,500,000 tons— 14 per cent, of tho ships on tho register in that class. This reduction, ho pointed out, had taken place during the period in which our armies with their magnificent oquipment wore receiving absolute' priority, and the great growth of our Navy was simultaneously achieved, and achieved to the detriment of mercantile shipbuilding. With merchant shipbuilding continued on its pre-war level, Britain, in spite , of submarine losses, would have

been between two million and three million tons to the pood at the end of last year, but the transfer of activities involved in meeting other demands resulted instead in tho reduction in British ocean-going- shipping mentioned by the First Lord and in a simultaneous reduction in coastal shipping.

Pabticulaks of British, Allied, and neutral shipping losses during the war irrespective of new construction and other replacements would no doubt show a very heavy total of destruction. An approximate idea of the facts may be gained from a statement made with official sanction in the French Chamber of Deputies in May last year. It showed that at that date the following shipping losses had been incurved by Britain, the Allies, and neutrals:— i Tons. August, 19H-January, 1917— By submarine 3,8W,CQ0 Other war lowes 1,700,000 Jnnuary-April, 1917— All losses 2,500,000 It was pointed out that if tho rest of the year wore as bad as the first four months of 1017 the total losses for tho year would bo 7,500,000 tons. On the other hand, it was stated that at the beginning of 1917, when approximately 5,500,000 tons of shipping had been lost by submarine attack and other agencies, new construction had replaced , 4,400,000 tons. Another item on v the credit side of tho account was 990,000 tons of captured German shipping. This did not include tho enemy shipping sinco taken over in United States and Brazilian ports—some' 800,000 tons. Assuming the correctness of the figures quoted above, tho total shipping losses suffered by Britain,, her Allies, and neutrals may now be in tho region of twelvo million tons—more than a quarter of the world's shipping at the outbreak of war. But the losses, whatever their actual amount may be, have to a very considerable extent been made good. It is nevertheless supremely necessary that shipping construction should be expedited in every possible way. The whole Allied campaign and the continued existence of Allied nations depend upon the possession of adequate shipping, and it is evident that the present rate of construction falls distinctly short of meeting demands.

A deal has been concluded between Holland and-the Allies which should neutralise the effects of a good many weeks of submarine piracy. The Allies will take over an amount of Dutch shipping! estimated at a million tons, agreeing in return not only to grant Holland due compensation, but to supply her with a certain quantity of food. This last stipulation will make some demand on shipping tonnage, but probably the net result will be a very great gain in ehipping tonnage to the Allies. Seventy per cent, of tho Dutch ships in question are in American ports—they wore tied up when the United States Government laid an embargo upon the exportation of foodstuffs and other commodities—and so will be immediately available whore'ships are most needed, to transport American troops or supplies to France.

News of tho inoccupation of Erzerum by tho Turks and of a movement northward into Transcaucasia makes it only too clear that the Russian campaign has collapsed as complctelyin this region as elsewhere. Tho immediate result is to expose the surviving members of tho Armenian race to the fate of outrage and massacre which overtook hundreds of thousands of their compatriots in 1916. The military results also may be serious. The Turks havo now gained an open and unimpeded road into Persia, and so are enabled, if they can assemble the necessary force, to organise an attack upon the eastern ilank of the British army in Mesopotamia. ♦ * * *

A LATE message states that 250,000 Armenians and others aro holding the frontier of Transcaucasia, but it is very doubtful whether such an improvised force as is described will succeed in stemming the enemy a'avance. Indeed, this may be only an example of the bogus stories of Armenian resistance tho Turks are circulating with a view to providing a pretext for further massacres! **. * ■ *

In ordinary course Germany's occupation of Odessa would have enabled her. to lay hands upon a vast amount of grain and otne"r~ foodstuffs, for she has hero broken into tho richest agricultural area in linssia. Available news on this point, however, is to the effect that anarchical disorders have produced conditions of dearth whore plenty formerly reigned. At its face value this means that Germany- will derive comparatively little immediate benefit from her extended invasion, and if it is true- as -alleged that peasants have been consuming seed grain, and if these conditions are widespread, even the prospects for next harvest should be extremely unpromising.