GERMAN MERCHANTMEN

Evening Star, Issue 23379, 23 September 1939, Page 14

GERMAN MERCHANTMEN

A warning that the German merchant fleet is rapidly becoming one of the most out-of-date in the world, owing to the concentration of German shipyards on foreign order's, has been given by Dr Hoffmann, managing director of the Hamburg-Amerika Line, in an article in the shipping periodical ‘ Pressedienst Hansa.’ Dr Hoffmann says it is a shortsighted policy to build ships for abroad to get foreign currency, while neglecting the homo merchant fleet. “ Only 27 per cent, of Germany’s merchant ships are less than 10 years old,” ho writes, “ so that the German fleet, which is the fifth in the world irt size, is only ninth in its tonnage of modern vessels. “.Between 1931 and 1938, 1,800,000 tons of new ships should have been' built to maintain the efficiency of our merchant fleet. Actually only 825,000 tons were built. Whereas annual replacements should bo at least 250,000, only 182,000 tons were built in 1937 ami 2H.000 in 1938.” Meanwhile, Dr Hoffmann adds, foreign lines are forging ahead—often with tonnage made in Germany—and beating German lines in competition for freights. Whereas in 1913, 89 per cent, of overseas shipping cleared at Hamburg was in German ships, the figure had fallen to 48’ per cent, in 1937.