THE U-BOAT WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 288, 24 August 1918, Page 7

THE U-BOAT WAR

BRITISH SHIPPING LOSSES. OUTLOOK IMPROVING London, August 22. Thu Press Bureau reports:—The followine were ' the mercantile shipping losses in July:— Gross tons. -British 176,479 Allied and neutral 136,532 Total 313,011 Compared with the adjusted figures for ■ June, theso figures show an increase of 10,965 tons in the case of British, and of 20,552 tons in foreign losscft; and compared with the losses in "May, the July figures are lower by 55,301 tons in British and higher by 3829. in neutral losses.' As compared with July, 1917, the total loss is lower by 262,938 tons. , The British losses in July exceeded the new construction in the yards of tho United Kingdom by 34,531 tons; but m tho samo month 12,220 tons of shipping was constructed abroad by neutral builders on British account, so that the net deficit on the month is reduced to 22,311 tons, as compared with an deficit during the first six months of this year of nearly 90,000 tons. , The'sailings to and from Great Britain during July were more numerous than ever—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Keuter. two biglmers lost ONE A SERBIAN TRANSPORT. (Rec. August 24, 0.10 a.m.) Paris, August 23. The Messageries Maritimes liner Polynesien (6363 tons), en route from Bizerta to Salonika with Serbian troops, was mined on August 19, and sank. Nineteen are missing. . The French steamer Balkan (1(09 tons) was torpedoed in the Mediterranean on August. 15, and sunk' within , a minute. One hundred and two were saved.— Reuter. SPAIN'S DECISIONS USE GERMAN SHIPS k TERMS OF THE NOTE. London, August 22. The "Daily Telegraph's" correspondent ; at Madrid states'that Spain's note to ; Germany declaring that while observing neutrality she will utilise German fillips ; for her own commerce, was couched in [ careful language, but not compromising ' It points out that 20 per cent, of Spain s mercantile fleet has been sunk and over 1 a hundred seamen have perished. In 1 addition a large number was left to sink 1 or swim without mercy. Spain.mean- ' while maintains the strictest neutrality. 1 -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. VICTIMS OF A PIRATE SPENT 1 CREW PICKED UP. London,, August 22. . An American vessel picked up eleven of the crew of a Norwegian steamer six hundred miles from land. Ihey had been in an open boat for eleven days, and lived on crabs and rain water ior eight days. They had neither oars nor sail. J The boat capsized four times, and three, ' men were drowned, and tho provisions 1 lost It appears that a submarine shell- ' ed the steamer at three miles. ranee, r and sank .he/ with a bomb after tho 1 crow had left. The survivors were r almost exhausted when picked up.—Aus.- ' N.Z. Cable Assn.