THE WORLD'S TONNAGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 268, 8 August 1919, Page 7

THE WORLD'S TONNAGE

HOW AMERICA HAS CAUGHT UP ON BRITAIN STARTLING FIGURES By Taleiraph-Fress Associattan-Oopyrleht (Rec. August 8, 1.50 a.m.) London, August 6. Lloyd's Shipping Register, tho first uucensorcd issue sinco the war began, shows that in 1910 the United Kingdom owns 3* per cent., and the United States 25 per cent, of the world's tonnage, as compared with 41.6 and 4.46 per cent, respectively in 1911. Tho tonnage of the United States lias increased by G,729,000, as compared with a decrease of 5,003,000 in the United Kingdom Lloyds Register estimates that if there had been no war, the world's tonnago would have increased to 9,966,000, making the total loss, excluding America, due to tho war 14,202,000, but America, as a result of the war, built G,729,000 tons over the normal increase. Henco the net loss of 7,473,000 tons._ If allowance be made for the loss ol' efficiency in construction and the retention of old ships bovond their normal efficiency,- the' net loss is 8,500,000, equivalent to 12,500,000 dead-weight tons. The ship tonnage is as follows:—

July, 1914. Steam. Sailing. World's tonnage 45,404,000 3,636,000 June, 1919. World's tonnage 47,897,000 3,022,000 British 18,892,000 16,345,000 Dominions 1,632,000 1,863,000 United States 2,027,000 9.773,000 Japan 1,708,000 2,325,000 Germany ]iad 5,125,000 steam tons and 3,24,000 sailing tons at the date of the armistice. At the armistice the Austrians .had 1.052,000 steam tons and 713,000 sailing' tons. The enemy vessels taken over since the armistice totalled 1,750,000 tons. The world's war losses totalled 7,473,000 tons, and Britain's about 5,000,000 tons.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. [Tho shipbuilding returns issued by Lloyd's Register for the quarter ended March 31 contained somo remarkable figures. At that date tho tonnage under construction in the world reached tho enormous total of 7,796,20G tons gross,' of which 2,254,845 tons were in the United Kingdom, and 5,511,421 tons abroad. The record total for the world prior to the war was in June, 1913, when the tonnago under construction amounted to 3,446,558 tons. Tho work in hand in the principal shipbuilding districts of tho United Kingdom is as follows: — Tons. Tho Clyde 754,000 Tyne 434,000 Wear 259,000 Tees 224,000 Belfast. 317,000 The tonnage now under construction in tho United Kingdom is about 275,000 toils more than that which v.'as in. hand at the end of last quarter, and about 375,000 more than tho' tonnago building twelve months ago. Of the tonnage bjiilding abroad, the United, States has over 75 cent., viz., 4,165,523 tons. Then follows:— Tons. British Dominions 303,088 Japan 254,835 Holland 162,308 The wonderful development, due to the war. in the shipbuilding industry in tho United States is shown by tho fact that tho tonnage now under construction in that country is more than 28 times the tonnage building in June, 1914. Another striking feature is that at tho end of June, 1914, the new tonnage under the survey of Lloyd's amounted to 1.865,337 tins, a very high figure indeed; but tho present total is 4,597,615 tons, an increase of 150 per cent.]