The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1916. THE MERCANTILE MARINE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 94, 17 November 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1916. THE MERCANTILE MARINE.

There is undoubtedly great difficulty in obtaining exact information regarding the- present strength of the British mercantile marine, though, of course, that strength—or to put the matter in other words, the number and tonnage of merchant ships available for trade and commerce—must to a wry great extent affect the question of freights. Discussing the shipping situation in England, Sir James Mills, Chairman of Directors of the Union Steamship Company, who arrived in Auckland this week, said that there has been a considerable improvement during recent months, and the congestion of trade was not nearly so great as it was. The evacuation of| Gallipoli had released an enormous amount of shipping engaged in the Mediterranean, while the ship-build-i'ng yards, although largely employed in supplying the requirements of thel Admiralty, were steadily turning out' new ships. Figures given in the Wellington Post show that up to May last the total losses to the world's shipping through the war amounted to 3,324,725 tons; or a little over 6 per cent, of the total. The number and aggregate tonnage of the vessels lost by the principal sufferers up to May are shown in the foilowing list: i

The German losses represent 18 pe>" cent, of Germany's total at the outbreak of the «ar; England's loss is I per cent. The Germans seized in their port 'sixty-three vessels, with a tonnage ft' 142.936. Great Britain's seizures total -490,032 tons. Portugal seized Gorman vessels with a total of 190,-107 tons. The seizures are not included in the reports of losses. The Hiamburg-Ainerican Company alone has lost during the war 48 vessels out of 205; the Hansa Line of Bremen 36 ships out of 71; the Kosnios Line 2D out of 59; the North German Lloyd 28 out of 142. The tosses since Ist May. 1.91 (i, which were quite heavy among the Allies, ate not included in the above., In August alone the German Admiralty claims its submarines destroyed 12G hostile ship,, totalling 1.70,079 gross tons; ihips carrying contraband, totalling

38,568 tons. The Post also remarks: The high figure of neutral shipping losses, caused by the German submarine warfare against shipping which serves Germany's enemies under any flag, is actually one of the notable features of the war: and one of the difficult problems yet to be faced is the way in which, if at nil, the neutrals are to be recompensed for their material sufferings in this respect.. Germany still owns intact a volume of shipping well in excess of the total. losses inflicted upon the nations other than her allies. The gross total was.j up till May, about three and a-thirri million tons. Germany and Austria] and their allies had lost less than onei and a-half million tons, so that the debt of the Central Powers to the rest of the world for shipping destroyed was, in -May. well under two million tons. Germany alone still possessed intact over three and a-half million tons of shipping; so that, if difficulties in the way of negotiation did not exist, Germany could "square up" with the world in shipping tonnage, and have a substantial, though enormously reduced, merchant fleet- left. Subsequent sinkings have somewhat reduced the margin, but it still remains very large.

No. Total Tons British .... 641 1,448,699 .... 63 157,987 German .... 441 1,106,457 Austrian .... 49 173,417 American ,,,.. .... 3 7,202 Dutch .... 20 48.452 Norwegian .. .... 100 116,434