Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-28
Run in National Interests.

ish ships have been requisitioned on a
large scale by the government, and run
in national instead of private interest
The rates paid to shipowners soon De.
came much lower than could be earned
by free ships, and British owners
therefore were unable to earn the same
freights as competitors. Now the situa-
ton has reached a stage at which IL
has been necessary to complete control
of all British shipping-first, to insure
the employment of every vessel in the
manner most consistent to the ma
tional interest, and. second. to divert
from private pockets to the nationaA
treasury the high freights prevalent
The result may be summarized as fol-
lows:
First. the British government has
accustomed about 81 per cent of the
ocean-going tramps on the British reg.
lister: second, all British liners have
been reauisitioned and are being run
for government account; third, every
ocean-going voyage of British steam.
ers now is directed by the government
tain essential imports from the nearest
source. disregardfng the interests or
shipowners and exporters alike; fourth.
many trades built up in distant waters
and sustained by British industry have
been abandoned to neutrals. who glad
ly seek employment for their vessels IN
areas immune from war risk: NTH,
coastal traffic around the shores OF
a searching review for the purpose OF
Withdrawing all vessels which can be
utilized for ocean-going work.
Neutral Ships Worth More.
"one effect of the requisitioning is
seen in the fact that the current mar
ket value of neutral ships is double
that of British ships.
cit also must be borne in mind that
officers and crews of British merchant
vessels have to run extraordinary risks
in bringing necessary commodities
Isles have been singled out by the en-.
envy for special attack, but, notw1th.
standing the risk, the officers and men
have never made any difference about
taking their ships through the most
dangerous routes"
Touching on the sacrifice which the
country generally has had to suffer.
Lord Robert said: The diversion of lin
ers from long distance to short distance
trade has inflicted injury on many Brit
ish export trades, particularly to In
dia and the far east. and also upon the
interests of our distant exporting coll
onies.
Second, a far-reaching program OF
restrictions of imports has been effected
Injuries have been excluded, and thad
import even Of essentials has been res
duced to the lowest level.
Third, the restriction OF coasting fas
for coast towns which hitherto have res |
lied on seaborne supplies.
Imports Are Curtaf1ed I'd
"As to import curtailment:
Before the war we imported 68.ooO,s
900 tons yearly. last year 43.0o0.0 900 and
the present year considerably less.
Even this large reduction does not ex-
hibit the full amount of our sacrthces
of commodities for use in manufacture
or for sale to our world customers. Or
the pre-war imports, less than quar-
than two-thirds were foodstuffs or mu-
leaving less than third OF the
greatly reduced total for productive in-
dustries.
export trade by about 26 per cent. Ex.
ports to our allies have increased to /
some extent, as naturally would be ex" |
pected, though this increase. represent:
the present situation, affords no substf- /,
tute for the loss of permanent trade.
Our exports to other foreign countries
and to the domniions overseas have
fallen off nearly one-third.
Tonnage Brought Home.
THE foregoing figures as to imports
and exports relate to our whole trade.
If it Were possible to analyze separate
ly the carrying trade of British ships,
the comparison would be still more
striking. Fifty per cent of the British
tonnage which formerly contributed to
the national revenue by its earnings in
distant trades now has been brought
home.
THE gap thus created is being filed
to some extent by neutral shipping
which has been withdrawn from the
European trade to take advantage OF
the profitable opportunity to obtain
business which the British-for the
t,-,N h>ttS % lad