SHIPPING CONTROL IN WARTIME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 212, 2 June 1919, Page 5

SHIPPING CONTROL IN WARTIME

DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEECH BY SIR ERIC GEDDES / — By Talezranli-Press Aesooiatton-OoDfriskt. London, May 10 (delayed). In a debate on the Ministry of Shipping vote, Mr. Leslie "Wilson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply, said that some control of shipping was necessary for the work of demobilisation and repatriation. The Ministry had handed over tho buildiug contracts for 159 ships to British owners who had suffered losses during the war, and had sold G8 vessels to British owners and 57 to foreigners. Altogethor it had received 191- millions for ships'which had cost KiJ- millions. The British ship.? of over 500 tons before tho war had aggregated 18,500,000 tons. This total was reduced to 15,300,000 tons by tho beginningl of 191!). The pre-war tonnage of the United States was 1,700,000; it was now 6,400,000 tons. Britain had constructed 551,629 tons of new ships since the armistice. 1

Sir Eric Geddes warmly defended thoi policy of building destroyers at the expose'of merchantmen. Without it, tho sea as far as merchantmen was concerned would have been our weaknest front, and would have necessitated withdrawing men from the Army. The Government's action had enabled the transports to carry tlic American troops. The submarine sinkings had created one of the gravest situations of the war. The Government did the right thing in establishing the national shipyards, and it would have been guilty of criminal neglect, if it had not made every effort to supply ships.—. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.