Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-01
WASHINGTON, May /

Keeping up with the submarine is the
paramount problem facing the war confer
ences now in progress here between Ameri-
| can French and British experts. II is con-
sdered even more important than the food
exigency, for without the ships to transport
| it to Europe, American food will be Of little
value.
Lord Eustace Percy, of the British for
eign trade department. emphasized this to-
day when he received Washington CORE
spondents for his first interview. He made
no attempt to conceal the fact that the ton
mage situation today was a serious one. lie
reiterated Lloyd Georges warning of sew
eral weeks ago that if the war is to be won
if Prussianism is to be crushed, there must
be ships! ships and more ship
Lord Percy has been in constant COM
munication with the Governments shipping
experts. notably the Federal Shipping Board
since his arrival here, and he was warm in
his praise today of the aid and cooperate ion
he has received. Questioned as to whether
this cooperation had taken on a material
form, he replied:
You may say that some ships already
have been placed at the disposal of the
States. can say no more Anything
else on it must come from your Govern
ment.
Lord Percy frankly admitted that German
submarines were sinking British tonnage
much faster than it can be turned out by
British yards.
And it is a question" he said whether
the combined production of both British and
American yards can keep up with it. They
will have to speed up considerably if they
do" He added:
The shipping situation controls and
dominates everything at present. The
British empire itself has more than
enough tonnage to care for it's own
needs, But at thee nd of March. 10
per cent Of our total tonnage was di-
rectly and solely in the service of
France carrying war supplies from
America. In addition to this, coal must
be supplied to Italy and to our naval
coaling stations in various parts of the
world.
At the end of March the British ship
ping situation stood roughly as fol-
lows: Twenty-Five per cent of our total
tonnage was directly in the military
and naval service "a per cent had been
requisitioned by the Government from
20 to "a per cent was working under an
agreement with the empire to reserve
from 80 to so per cent of their cargo
space for Government use and 20 to 22
per cent was out Of Government con-
troll These latter vessels are for the
most part engaged in passenger carry
ing and in foreign merchant service TO
Africa, Australia and so forth.
| cannot give you gentlemen any
figures on the rate of German subma-
rine sinking. That has been refused
even to our own Parliament, but II can't
be made too emphatic that the situa-
ton is serious.
Little aid in ship construction is
coming from France. Italy or any Of the
Allies. Much of the steel that goes
into the ships comes from America
and here again the transportation prob.
lem crops up. Japan is building a few
ships.
The United States" said Lord Percy
hopefully, has shown that It is urgently
impressed with the seriousness of the situ-
alton. That is a hopeful sign / was some-
what surprised and very glad to learn of
the preparation that already has been made
on this side. There has been an enormous
amount of work done In this country to
mobilize the industrial resources"
The British mission spent a busy day to-
day. Arthur j. Balfour head of the mis-
sion held long conference with Secretary
Of State Lansing this afternoon. He iunched
with Daniel Willard OF the Council of Ma
tional Defense.
Lieutenant General Bridges spent the
forenoon addressing officials of the United
States war college He laid before them
the military status on the western front
at the time he left England and explained
to them just what is most needed there
General Bridges conferred with Secretary
Of War Baker after his war college a.
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