Hostile Cruisers.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, 13 November 1914, Page 3

Hostile Cruisers.

1 —«“ 1 The German cruiser Emden, 1 says tlie Mercantile Gazette, has . done remarkably well in the Bay ‘ of Bengal and the Indian Ocean 1 and the damage done to British steamship owners by this hostile ' cruiser must total about t; £1,500,000. We cannot complain ' on this score, for it is the obvious function of such a vessel to ' damage the shipping of the enemy. ' And the task is quite an easy * one, for the high seas swarm - with British shipping. Fignrative--5 ly speaking, it would be difficult to throw a stone at sea without r bitting a British vessel of some kind. In view of the number of - vessels and tonnage at sea the ‘j losses sustained by the British I are comparatively small. The £ proportion of losses is microscopic J while Germany with a much * smaller number of vessels has 1 suffered enormously. It is no exaggeration to say that German merchant shipping has been eliminated from the high seas. Those that have not been detained in the ports oi the Allies_ or captured at sea have been interned in neutral ports and dare not venture out on the trade routes. Statistics serve to emphasize the 5 difference between the British and the Germans. In 1.912 the world’s mercantile marine cond . sisted of 149,401 ships, with a net g registered tonnage of 35,908.091 )- But. that included about 6,150,000 tons of inlaifl navigation vessels ■e in the United States and Canada,, ■s leaving about 29,750,000 tons for a ocean fleets. Th •_ sailing ships s- numbered about .1 per cent of r. the total, but u 'y 25 percent

of the net tonnage. The following; gives an idea of the distribution of the merchant fleets; — British Empire -■

A long.way alter the mercantile fleet of the British Empire there is no doubt that Germany takes second place, as far at ocean tonnage is concerned What changes the present wai will make in her mercantile fleet is a matter which is, as yet too early to discuss. It is remarkable that Norway should stand third in regard to the world’s ocean going fleets Norway, however makes a handsome sum every year out of the trade she conducts for othei countries.

N umber. Met toiks. United Kingdom 20,893 11,894,791 Canada 8,380 3,435 596,953 Newfoundland 3,395 149,230 India 353 115,186 Other 3,120 309,529 39 5? 5 13,901,873 United States 2,012 717.177 Germany 4,850 3,153,724 Norway 3,232 1,718,606 France 17,670 1.518,518 Japan 13.311 1,413,110 Italy 5,532 1.L37.109 Russia 0,956 1,135,210 Sweden 2,793 805.386 Holland 780 617,322 Greece 1,153 548,723 Denmark 4,371 548,324 Spain 883 5(3,375