Our Navy and Our Trade

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 130, 26 October 1914, Page 8

Our Navy and Our Trade

AN ADMIRALTY STATEMENT. LOSSES COMPARATIVELY LIGHT. NAVY SEARCHING FOR GERMAN CRUISERS. Wellington, Last Night. The Premier has received the follow-, ing from the High Commissioner:— z

"Official: The Admiralty announces that eight or nine German cruisers are believed to be at largo in the Atlantic, Pacific, and IndiaiJ Oceans, searching and working in concert. There are upwards ot seventy British (including Australian), Japanese, French, and Russian cruisers, not including the auxiliary cruisers. Among these arc a number of the fastest British cruisers. The vast expanses of sea and ocean, and the many thousands of islands In the various archipelagoes oiler an almost infinite choice of movement to the enemy's ships. In spite of every effort to cut off their coal supply, this has hitherto been maintained in the face of increasing difficulties. The discovery and destruction of these few enemy cruisers are, therefore, largely a matter of time, patience, and good luck. "The public should have the confidence that the Commander-in-Chief experiences, that the captains are doing all tiiat is possih'e, and taking the best steps to bring the enemy to action. They are also occupied with very serious and important convoy duty. This work has somewhat lessened, and the number of searching cruisers i a being continually augmented. Meanwhile, merchant ships must observe Admiralty instructions, of which it is obviously impossible to specify all the precautions suggested. Where these instructions 'have been followed, they have proved effective. Where 'they "nave been disregarded captures have ; been made. The same vastness of the sea which has enabled the German cruisers to avoid capture will protect trade. The only alternative methods that could now be adopted would be the maishalling of merchantmen in regular convoys at stated intervals. It is not thought necessary to hamper trade by enforcing such a system. Tho percentage of loss is much less than wa s reckoned on before the war. Of 4000 British ships engaged in-foreign trade, only 27 have been sunk by the enemy, besides seven now overdue in Atlantic waters. The rate of insurance on cargoes, which at the outbreak of war was fixed at five guineas, is now reduced to 2 per cent., without injury to the solvency of the fund. For ■ hulls, apart from cargoes, insurance has also been eonsidcrab'y reduced. About 0000 fori ign ;oyages have been undertaken to and from the Cn'ted Kingdom ports, an 1 less than live per thousand have been interfered with. Uf these, the losses of a laige iuinii.?r have been caused by merchant vessels taking everything for granted, and proceeding without precautions.

"The German oversea trade has practically ceased to exist. Their fast ships, which could have been used as auxiliary cruisers, were promptly penned in neutral harbours, or took refuge in tln-ir own. Among the comparatively few German ships out, 133 have been captured, nearly four times the number of those lost by the Jiritisii mercantile marine. There is no occasion for anxiety, and no excuse for complaint. The more fully the facts concerning our trade protection by ihe Koyal Xavy can bo disclosed, and the more attentively studied, .the greater will bo the confidence and satisfaction with which the situation is viewed."