Bisbee daily review., 1917-11-02

Save Food and Ships.
He pointed out that while Great Brit
ain has plenty of coal lor victory, It
ally and France have not and it was
essential that thtre should be the
creates. possible economy in food and
in all imports in order that tonnage
should be saved so that it may be di-
verted to other vital needs of the al
lance. He declared:
I'VE must lay our plans for long
war. l see - signs of its being
short one. and all, by their economy
can help the navies of the allies de-
fea. the submarine"
Sir Eric urged Britons to do their ut
most, as there were greater calls upon
the shipping world. i.1..
The huge army of the United
States, he said, lis preparing and has
to be transported and maintained. The
French, Italian and other allies re-
quire seaboard help. , That help can
only be given if the nation is prepared
strictly and vigorously to curtail its
needs, develop home resources and con-
serve its present potential maritime
strength
Britain's Building.
II had been asked whether Great
Britain was building merchant tonnage
at a sufficient rate to replace the sink
ings. The answer, he declared, had
been given negatively, but it was un-
sound and inconclusive to take any
one factor of output as against losses
to be a vital indication of Great Brit
aims situation. Britain, he said, now
was equipped on the scale never
dreamed of before
May the country not justly take
credit for the fact that in 1917 with our
military and mum ions effort at the
maximum and when the call upon man
power has reduced our available re-
sources to minimum" he continued,
I'VE shall have produced naval and
mercantile tonnage practically equal to
the best year ever recorded in our his
tory. And in 1913 it will certainly be
very much greater"
The speaker expressed confidence
that the skilled workers. would stand
by the nation in carrying out the great
shipbuilding program, just as they had
done in the munitions and other needs
of the country.
For" he added. they may rest as
hot he II -
country will not permit any action
calculated to lower the standard of
comfort they have won for their fami-
lies and themselves
Sir Eric said that the new national
yards now being built would be ready
in six months and continued:
Ship Output Enormous.
The output of merchant tonnage
for the frst nine months of 1917 is 1913
per cent higher than in the correspond
ing period last year and considerably
higher than the total output for the
whole of 1915. Standard vessels
have been ordered representing nearly
one million gross tons. More than
half of these are under construction. y
According to the first lord. there are
now 235 large drydocks in the British
Isles where merchantmen can be re-
paired. He expressed the hope that
all these vessels would soon be effec-
lively armed and he paid tribute 90
the women employees in the dockyards
Success Of Conveys.
Referroing to the success of the con-
voy system in general, he said
In september ninety per cent of the
total vessels sailing the Atlantic trades
were conveyed, and since the convoy
system started the total percentage of
loss per conveyed vessel through the
danger zone was one in two hundred.
81 wish to acknowledge fully the
valuable contribution made by the
United States navy in this convoy
work since their destroyers joined us
under command of Cice Admiral Sims.
we have had most valuable consul
tation with Admiral Mayo and on the
occasion of his visit took counsel with
him a sto the hole Their American navy
was to play. We also took advantage
of his visit to have an international
naval conference from which we hope
much good may result"
Defends The Navy.
Defending the navy, the first lord
reviewed its accomplishment declar-
ing that, unlike the enemy forces, its
role was an offensive one.
During recent month" he contin-
ued, 1.-THE mileage staemed by our bat
tleships, cruisers and destroyers alone
amounted to millions fship-miles in
home waters. In addition to this the
naval auxiliary forces patrolled more
than six million miles in the same per-
iod and territory. The displacement
of the navy is II per cent greater thar
1914, when its was 100000 tons. AT
the outbreak of the war we had eigh-
teen mine sweepers and auxiliary pa