BRITISH MERCHANT FLEET

Evening Star, Issue 23690, 25 September 1940, Page 10

BRITISH MERCHANT FLEET

STILL SAILS OCEANS OF THE WORLD WAR LOSSES MORE THAN MADE UP (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 24. (Received September 25, at 11.4 S a.m.) The Minister o£ Shipping (Mr Ronald Cross) reviewing the year’s war effort, stated that British merchant vessels unceasingly sailed the oceans of the world, liable to attack throughout by submarine, raider, mining, and aixcraft, and more recently the E-boat. “ One might well have supposed that our position would be worse than that of countries whose ships bolted to safety,” said Mr Cross, “ hut the fact is that we have lost by enemy action only about an eighth of our pre-war merchant fleet. We have made up, and more than made up, this and every other loss. Captures, new building, and transfers from foreign flags have brought us reinforcements in excess of our losses. “ The overseas supply position, and consequently the shipping position, has taken on a wholly different appearance. Timber, steels, and ferrq alloys which formerly came from Scandinavia must now he carried from North America. Iron ore, formerly derived from Sweden, Norway, arid France, is fetched to-ddy from more distant sources. Australian and New Zealand dairy produce takes the place of the Banish and Dutch supplies. The workshops of the United States are turning out engineering products which in the past came from Belgium. Moreover, ships hearing the products of India, and the Far East are no longer ordinarily routed through the Mediterranean, and the longer voyage round the Cape means that a larger number of ships are required to bring equivalent cargoes. The scale of our shipping needs, therefore, has been greatly augmented, ' hut also the fact that the fortunes of war have brought ns augmented shipping resources on a commensurate scale. ‘.‘Germany, by her inexcusable assaults on Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Belgium, put out of employment great quantities of tonnage which formerly served the commercial needs of those peaceful lands. A greater part of this tonnage now carries cargoes for the Allied cause, and compensates for the greater distances many supples must now bo carried.” “ A great fleet of British, Allied-, and neutral vessels is bringing to England between four and five million tons of imports monthly (enough to meet essential needs), compared with the peacetime total of about 6,000,000 tons. We aro beginning the second year of the war in a good position to feed the people and, supply factories.” AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION DIRS FROM EMPIRE LONDON, September 23. Vew colonial-gifts for aircraft include * further £SOO from the War Fund Committee in Uganda towards the cost ©f a fighter squadron. Each machine will hear the name of a place in Uganda. Uganda’s total is now £4,200. A telegram from the Governor of North Borneo asks the Ministry of Aircraft Production to accept a further £5,000 for a Spitfire. Gifts at home range from £3,000 by the Winchester Spitfire Fund to £1 from the typing department of the Port of London Authority. PETROL IN ENGLAND FURTHER INCREASE IN PRICE LONDON, September 23. He price of petrol has been increased by Id to 2s id a gallon, compared with Is 5d last September. Motorists in some parts of London are finding it difficult to obtain petrol rations. Garages explain that they are unable to get normal supplies, partly because lorry drivers refuse to work during raids. Garages in outlying districts are sometimes without petrol for days. The Petroleum Department issued a statement to the effect that the lack of supplies is also due to the bombing of garages, RACING CLAGSIC BT. LECER AGAIN ABANDONEDLONDON, September 24. fßecelved September 25. at 11.40 a.m.) The St. Leger has been abandoned for the second year in succession. CASUALTIES IN EGYPT (Pm Okwbd Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH. September 24. The death of Private Oliver Lowe, with the first echelon in Egypt, has been notified to his parents, Mr and Mm J. E. Lowe, of Rarigiora. It is stated that death was due to shock following multiple burns. WELLINGTON, September 24. The following casualty in Egypt is officially announced;— Lance-hombarclier J. P. J. (Regan, accidentally wounded. His wife is Mrs •T. P. J. Regan, 137 Great North road, New Lynn, Auckland.