ON THE SEA.

Taihape Daily Times, 24 May 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

FAILURE OF HUN PIRACY. SHIPBUILDING ACCELERATED. . Received 11.40 a.m. LONDON,. May 23. Newspapers accept the submarine statistics as evidence that the piracy has failed. U-bcats are being sunk faster than they are being built. The Daily News states the sinkings of 305,102 tons are hardly more than one-third of the devastation of April, 1917. While the blocking of Zeebrugge and Ostend, and the' great minefield from Norway to the Shetlands has not yet had time to effect the returns. Doubtless Yon Capelle was verbally correct in saying the number of U-boats was greater than when unrestricted warfare began, but the rate of destruction will now be accelerated. The convoy system, universal arming of merchantmen, increased number of destroyers and hydroplanes, the unification of command, and the increased demoralisation and poor training of German crews, are all helping to confound von Capelle’s boastings. British construction ought, however,< to exceed 200,000 tons monthly.