ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

THE TEXAN STRUCK. A WIRELESS MESSAGE New York, Jan. 14. The steamer Texan is reported to be sinking at'sea. A vessel arriving at an Atlantic port reports-having picked up a wireless from the .steamer Texan as follows: —"We struck amidships. Have sixty-three men. Lowering lifeboats. Good-bye. No-'more." VESSEL COLLIDES WITH ANOTHER. Received -T:i n. 15, 5.40 p.m. Washington, Jan. 14. ic has now been ascertained that the Texan,' which wirelessed that she was sinking at sea, had been in collision with another sheamer.

, THE LOST CONVOY. REPORT OF THE COURT OF JSXQUffiX, Received Jan. 15, 11.35 p.m. London, Jan. 15. . In the House of Commons Sir Eric Geddes stated that the Admiralty had confirmed the Adding of the court enquiry that the escorting vessels did, their best to protect the Scandinavian convoy. The escort fought in a proper, seamanlike manner! The covering forces took all poasible steps to come to their assistance, and to prevent the escape of the enemy. The board opined that the circumstances preventing the covering ' forces from arriving in time were unpreventable. Admiral Beattie's disposition was the best possible with his. available force*

THE SUBMARINES HOW TO OVERCOME THEM. AN ENGINEER'S IMPRESSIONS. "The submarine difficulty is a ihing of the past," said Mr. A. Goninan, of the engineering firm of A. Goninan and Co.f TM., and a director of the newlyformed Steel Products Company, Ltd., who Juts returned to Newcastle, New Sonth Wales, after an eight months' trip to England and the United States in connection principally with the steel products of this company. The progress made against the submarines was absolutely marvellous, he stated in the course of conversation with a representative of the Sydney Horning Herald. The men who had done the most to help Great Britain and the Allies in winning this war were the members of the mercantile marine. Great Britain was positively coping with the euibmarine difficulty. Just before he left England tie saw one German submarine towed into port. If the necessary shipping c-ould be built by England and the United States, he believed that the Allies could look forward with, hopeful confidence to the war ending in our favor daring the next two or three years. The general opinion abroad was that the war would finish this year. .Everybody would Ibe delighted to have peace, not on Germany's terms. People realised that the war must be fought to a finish, and the terms made by the Allies. Mr. Goninan's impression, after spending nearly five months in the United States, ji» that America as a nation is "m with'us to win. this war." All the leading Americans he met were delighted tbftt Britain and America had united. America's industries were all organised, and the whole of the metal output, which amounted to forty million tons a year, was being coibmandeered by the United States Government. To prosecute this war with the other Allies America was establishing an enormous shipbuilding Industry in various parts of the States, as uliipbuilding was the biggest problem that the Allies had to contend with owing to the losses caused by submarines. The year 1018 would see 4,000,000 tons of shipping built by Britain alone, and the United States of America in the same period would construct from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 tons. It was expected 'that the American output of shipping in 1919 -Would be equal to that of Great Brttahn. ; At the present time America was employftf frtm 00,000 to 260,000 men in

the building of ships. When the American output of shipping reached the quantity which England expected her to construct she would hav« 500,000 men engaged in the industry. Those men were being obtained by closing down, or only partially running, factories which had previously been turning out motor-cars and other goods which were not absolutely necessary in war time. The United States Tiad established enormous factories for the construction of aeroplanes, which would play an important part in the battles of next spring on the western front. With the large number of aeroplanes they expected to have next year they might 'ln; able to force the issue with Germany, and probably terminate the war. . . "Practically the whole of the British people are unanimous that tho war will be fought to si successful finish," continued Mr fioninan. "The organisation of the Old Country is positively marvellous. Girls are employed in all the steel ivories doing manual labor In some industrial concerns girls are even firing boilers. they are making shells in many large factories throughout, Britain, with only two or tiiree men acting as overseers and tool-setters. They are also tilling the soil, driving motor-cars, feting as ticket collectors on trains, and doing other work. ''Having- seen England only six years ago, the development of the' engineering and st.cel-making industry is beyond my comprehension. Many large works have entirely duplicated (their .plants with most modern machinery and tools. The steel output of England in 1913 was only fi.oo3'ooo tons: in 1917 it was expected to reach between 1-2.000,000 and 14:000.OflO tons. The people of England may tvell proud of the organisation and development that have taken place in all metal production factories."