UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1918, Page 5

UNITED STATES.

"REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS!" AMERICA'S DUTY. I - ' Recbived July 31, 7.40 p.m. Washington, July 30. It is official? announced that Mr. Newton D. Baker (Sercetary for War), commenting on the Allied success, said: "It U fortunate the American people are accepting the successes at their true significance. The successes are cause for congratulations, but they do not justify to in relaxing our efforts. We must redouble our efforta.''—Presc As^oc. A RECIPROCAL TREATY. Received August 1, 12.15 a.m. WaAington, July 30. A Rritish-Canadian-AmeTioan treaty has been signed whereby 50.000 America!)* domiciled in the British Empire and jWO.OOfI Hritiah subject*, resident' in the United States, will be subjected to the Rriti«h or American draft laws. The nationals may return to their own country: if not. they will he liable for draft ill the count rr where they reside.

AMERICAN TONNAGE. HUGE MERCHANT FLEET. ITS AMAZING GBOWTH. The steady growth of the American merchant marine in all classes of vessels ras revealed to-day for the first time since the war began, in statistics from theJkpartment of Commerce, says the New York Herald of June 9. They show that in the first five months of this year there have been built in this country and officially numbered by the Bttrttu of Navigation a total of 629 Vessels of 687,055 gross tons.

The merchant fleet of the United Stoics now amounts to approximately 10,000,000 gross tons, not including merchant craft under the control of the army and navy as transports and gupply chips. At the beginning of January 26,742 merchant vessel* of 9,343,224 gross tons were flying the Stan and Stripe* on trips across the Atlantic with food and munitions, into the Carribean tod Pacific with American products for foreign customers, and on the lakes and river* of this country aa part of the nation's domestic transport system. This tremendous fleet is second only to tit merchant tonnage of Great Britain. It includes air new vessels built under the direction of the Shipping Board, and thousands of other ships, smaller in tonnage but greater in carrying capacity, which play so large a part in commerce and the maintenance of a favorable balance of trade.

Atl merchant vessels are required by law to register with (he Bureau of Navigation of the Department of Comaerte and to receive an official identification number before being permitted to fly the flag of the United states. The number is awarded when (fit; finished ■kip is measured for gross tonnage capacity, which is the content of the ship in terms of 100 cubic feet and the internationally accepted method of expressing ike. ■

The Shining Board, building exclusively cargo ships, has adopted deadweight tonnage as. the medium of computing new tonnage, ■ dead-weight tonnage being the actus* Wright of -cargo and banker coal whisk* can be carried. The dead-weig«f tannage eia> cargo •hip is about Mpefteit grt*t*r fIH» its grow tonnage, but--in * passenger vessel is leia, becaustf'Oe" space is oeeu(Ud by passenger Mcommodatioh. The farmer German liner Vafiertand, tefrfft' Leviathan, has a grow tonnage of 64,000, kßt * dead-weight eapaeity of only stent 6000 tone, which illustrates why, ta dealing with all types of chips, gross Btaaage, or the actual size regardless tf the space allotted to cargo, has been Aoten internationally as more truly initiative of the sice of a fleet.

fieri has been a steady increase in daps this year, the May tonnage being three times as great as tie January •utpat. In the first month of 1918 %re wen 57 ships of 64,759 tons given Mpal numbers. In February 84 ships of ttfttOl gross tons were numbered. March ■aw a notable jump in the production of •Mil ships, numbers being awarded to lit, the tonnage being 147,145. The record in April was 165 ships of 163,050 togs, KJ in May 185 ships of 194,4*5 tots.

it a single month this year the American merchant fleet has seen a growth almost as great as during the entire first year of the Saropeen war.