The Allies' Peril

Levin Daily Chronicle, 23 March 1918, Page 4

The Allies' Peril

The Allies' peril is not one of military defeat in the field, but one of deI lay in defeating Germany (says the / military writer of the "Post." No- , body questions that if the future outside tlie battle-zone were secure the defeat of the Central Powers l would bo inevitable. The element of doubt is the "communications" which support tlio Allied armies and the British nation, and hitherto the nation Las not been allowed to know exactly tow tliey stand. But apparently its natural curiosity is about to be satisfied by a specific statement about the shipping losses, for it i 3 all a question, of shipping. The tonnage losses have gone down steadily since the great climax in the second 'iiuirter of last year, and tlte destruction of submarines has gone steadily up till at last it has been officially declared that U-boats are destroyed at the rate they are built. Sir Bonar Lav: states that Sir Eric Geddes may on Wednesday state the actual tonnage losses, and !t hat the figures will astonish everyone. The weakness of ihc shipping position is ihat the rate ot construction lias not overtaken the rale of loss. It was anticipated at the end of last year that !| the building programme in England }| reach a record output, and America un- | dertoult: such voluminous plans as I threatened to begin adding laigely to | the grand total <1' floating vessels. But the calculations have been falsified. In Britain the yards have failed to turn out the promised quantities, and America 's programme is not being fulfilled. Sir Eric Geddes's statement, when it is [ mad'-, will no doubt'do what is badly f i.eoded in arousing those directly con--1 corned with the business of shipbuildJ ing to the seriousness of the outlook.