Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-02
AMERICA GIVES
Ships TO ALLIES
INNEW WAR MOVE
Lord Percy Says Germans Are
Sinking Tonnage Faster
Than U. s. and Britain
Are Making 1t.
TO SPEED CONSTRUCTION
British Expert Announces Com
pletion of Negotiations for
Joint Action.
ALL DETAILS SUPPLIED

Washington, May 1.-The Ham
burg-Americsn liners Portonia and
Clara Mennig at New York have
been turned over by American gov
ernment for use Of the entente allies.
One ship will go to France and the
other to Italy.
Lord Eustace Percy, ship expert
with the British mission, said today
that the government had lupplied Ger.
tain vessels to be used according to
the allies needs, but refused to indi.
cate what they were OF if they were
the seized German ships.
Lord Percy declared tnat the pres
ent rate of British construction Of
ships and the present estimated Amer.
ican rate could not keep pace with he
present rate of destruction of subma-
rines.
"The balancing figure in the world
struggle" said Lord Percy, "is the
tonnage the United States can sup.
ply"
VIII rOok SOHoi uStlou.
Lord Percy's announcement was
the first init iation that the shipping
conferences had actually resulted in
an agreement. 1t was taken as fore
runner of ver,- wide degree of CO.
operation, in which the present tom
mage and the future building powers
of this country will be pooled with
the allies to defeat the German sub
marine menace.
Lord Percy stated that the British
mission had supplied the American.
government with every detail OF the
shipping problem, including the total
alli-, tonnage, the total destruction
by the U-boats, the irreducib.e needs
Of the allies, the present rate OF con-
struction abroad and the standardized
building plans. The American ship.
ping board, he said, has shown. the
hcartiest cooperation with the fullest
understanding OF the urgency of the
situation.
Situation Is Grave.
"The shipping ISSUE" said Lord
Percy, dominates. everything else,
and the situation is very grave in
deed. Both the present British con-
struction and the estimated Amer
ican construction cannot keep pace
with the present rate Of destruction.
Both must be speeded up very ap-
preciably if the seas are to be kept
open. The war has resolved itself into
a race between the efficiency of the
British and American ship yards and
the German submarines.
THE balancing factor in the world
struggle is the tonnage the United
States can supply Only in case this
is large can the present military serv-
ice and rood supply be continued. This
is the most vitality serious problem
which cannot be exaggerated.
Other Nations Help Some.
"The United States" Lord Percy
went on, "is one of the few coun-
tries that is absolutely self-suficient
i'll ship building. You have here the
men, the material, the inventiveness.
France, Italy and Japan also are
building somewhat, but unlike this
country must use ships to build ships
through the need of importing raw
materials. ~
"The shipping problem is not only
a matter Of tonnage, but equally a
matter OF how fast that tonnage is
used. Every method possible is be-
ing used to save shipping for the vital
purposes and keep it away from non
essentials. Each of the allied nations
has instituted a national shipping
board, sitting in London, which at
tempts TO harmonic the demands on
shipping and direct it to the most
efficient use"