The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1918. SHIPPING CONSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1918. SHIPPING CONSTRUCTION.

After being led to expect that the output of new ships in Britain and America during the current year would go a long way towards overtaking arrears and replacing the victims of submarine activity, it is extremely disappointing to learn that the optimistic forecast cannot be realised. In Britain there has been a slackening ,~pirit in the shipyards due to labor troubles, while as regards America, in the words of Mr. Barnes "America has failed us." Meanwhile, enemy submarines have increased their activities, though the measures taken to cope therewith have prevented the losses from mounting to a higher scale. In striking contrast to the spirit of the shipbuilders is that of the sailors who man our merchant fleet and bravely face the perils of .the submarine infested waters with a zeal that 19 heroic. While the men at the shipyards have been taking no heed of the time lost over trifling disputes and slackness of energy, our mariners can claim that not a single ship has been ('clayed for an hour because either officers or men hesitated to do their duty. In carrying out the new programme of shipbuilding in Britain the authorities were at first hampered by a shortage of steel, but now that has been overcome it depends on the men engaged on construction work to put forth their utmost efforts in order that food supplies and necessary materials may be carried overseas. By so doing they will prove to Germany that her plan of starving and terrorising Britain into submission has utterly failed, and (hey will also infuse additional confidence in the people as to the issue of the war. According to statements made by Ministers in the House of Commons, the output of ships in January was less than halt' the estimated number, and that there had been no improvement in February. During November the new construction was within measurable distance of the month's losses, and had this encouraging result been continued, the position, in view of the reduction in losses, would have been very gratifying. Unfortunately the production began to fall off early in December, so that it is a question whether the total tonnage available is any greater than it was three months back. According to the estimate of the First Lord of the Admiralty the output for the whole year should equal that of 1013, when the new merchant tonnage totalled 1,020,000 tons, but according to a recent statement the year's construction was only 1,103,474 tons—a considerable falling off. In face of this shortage a special appeal has been made to the men for increased effort, skilled artisans are being recruited, from less urgent war work, and every shipyard has been called upon to do its best. There should, of course, have been no need for this appeal, for the men are well aware of the vital importance of speeding up the output to the utmost in their power. This is all

tlie more imperative owing to the failure of American efforts. It was hoped that the United States -would have produced the six million tons asked for by the British Premier, especially as the Shipping Board had net to work on a programme which aimed at an output of seven and a half millions. Apart from the great task of organising the workers for this great effort, the United Stales authorities have been hampered for the want of yards capable of turning out so large an output, but this latter problem has been solved by acquiring the whole oi an island, and it is anticipated that by the adopuon of standardising and the employment of a largo number of factories that as soon as the new scheme is in working order the arrears will speedily be overtaken. It may certainly be expected that- the United States Government will strain every resource in order to keep faith with the pledge given to Britain, and as a prominent shipping magnate recently stated that there was no reason why ten million tons of new shipping could be turned out. in a year, the outlook for the future is decidedly hopeful. Never has there been Mich a need for concentrated effort in shipbuilding as at the present period, and the mere mention of slackness causes grave anxiety. This is no time for labor unrest to jeopardise the food supplies of Britain, and the army of workers should be enlisted in the same way as the fight ing forces, their work being equally as important as that of the men behind the guns. More so, for without food the men cannot fight and without food the nation cannot exist. The statement that has just been made by the First Lord of the Admiralty shows that the submarine menace is w r eil in hand and that Ijhc methods which had proved so successful in Home waters are to be applied to the Mediterranean, aircraft beinr; also utilised there in anti-submarine operations, while Brazilian warships will co-operate. Satisfaction will be felt at the announcement that the losses for last month were only slightly over half of those for February last year, and that he hoped the output of merchant shipping in February would be dom-le that of January. It is admitted that the brunt of the task of providing new shipping must for a while bo shouldered i Britain, and it is to be hoped that the men engaged in the industry there «"'ll not betray the trust committed to their hands.