PROGRESS OP THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 210, 24 May 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OP THE WAR

An Admiralty return which appoars to-day shows a substantial reduction in shipping losses during April as compared with the preceding month. British losses in April exceeded those of March by 4700 tons, but thoro was a simultaneous drop in Allied and noutral losses of 81,707 so that tho aggregate loss of British and foreign shipping was less by nearly 77,000 tons in April than in March. The aggregate losses of last month are very little more than a third of thoso suffered in April, 1917, when the submarine campaign was at its worst. In all cases tho figures just given cover losses from all causes— that is to say, they include losses under ordinary marine risks as well as ships sunk by mine and submarine. Substantially as losses were reduced in April they are still serious, but there is evory prospect that they will be further reduced as time goes on._ Apart from tho ■fact that tho Allies are rapidly addingto their naval patrols, and in various ways expanding and developing their anti-submarine organisation, tho blocking of the Br'uges-Zeebruggo Canal is likely to materially restrict the operations of the U-boats. This enterprise was hot carried out until April had run nearly two-thirds of its course, and it is in May rather than in April that its effect upon the submarine campaign must bo expected to show. On the other hand, evidence appeared in a recent report relating to attacks upon Norwegian fishing craft in Arctic waters that tho Üboats are still making free use of tho neutral lano along the coast of Norway. _ So long as this state of affairs exists the value of flic-groat mine barrage laid across the northern end of the North Sea is seriously reduced. The general position disclosed, however, is that losses arc steadily falling, while the production of new shipping in Britain and America is expanding apace. According to a recent statement by AriMUtAi, Sim, losses are now balanced by new construction.

Detaii, reports since Ik Germans opened their offensive two months ago have made it, plain thai, the British airmen are surpassing all their own past ai'hievemcnts~'-fh,,.re is no 'higher standard by which to measure what they have accomplished. Their record is summed up by .Sir. Douoi.as Haio in the statement thai, since March 21 a thousand German anropla.ncs have been brought down, and over a thousand t'ifis of bombs dropped over the enr-mv's line. Kven taking account of Ik scale on which aerial forces are now organised these figures mark a

colossal achievement, Iho moro so since the British losses suffered in taking this unprecedented toll of the enemy have licen relatively light. The ami)unt of bomb-dropping done ">y the British machines also vastly exceeds the enemy's counter-effort. As matters are going, tho enemy is in a fair way to bo reduced to the same level of hopeless inferiority in the air as in the realm of naval warfare.