The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-21
United States Also Will Make
Public Statement on Ships.
British Admiralty Report Re-
veaIs Alarming Situation.
RUSH new SHIPS ONLY HOPE
Last Year U-BOats Sank More
Than Twice Amount Built.
Outcome of War Now Depends
Mainly on Ship Builders.

| OA t1ANP
| Washington, March 21--Aoaruoii,
| ing its policy of secrecy the oIii'eu
States is about to JOIN Win
pri+ai, in frank discussion of the
submarine menace.
To impress upon the people of TINS
community the vital necessity oi IN
dix,idual and united effort to beat the
U-boat, Chairman Hurley Oh tnt
| ming board has prepared a staleii e't
r. follow that of Sir Eric Geddes. tlrst
| lord of the British admiralty, peHore
| the house of commons yesterday.
| Hurley will openly show the greae
| tasks before the Onlteo oeaee'
speech this week.
Hold White House Conference.
Today the British embassy made
public striking figures carefully COM
! niled to show the tremendous lnroaos
! the Germans are making on me
| worlds shipping. This statement
! President Wilson and his war cabl-
! net had before them yesterday at the
long conference in the White house
Most of that conference was deVoteu,
it was learned later. to the tonnage
! problem facing the world And ap-
| ma rently it was agreed Hurley should
/ make a statement on the serious work
ahead of the United States-includ-
ing employers as well as laborers
Total Ship Loss 11,S27,o12 Tons.
Figures compiled by experts OF the
allied nations show that since the war
| began the total loss in world tonnage,
! due to enemy action and marine risk,
/ is 11S27.572 gross tons, OF Whlch the
loss in 1917 alone was STRESSES tons:
AS against this the total output OF
world tonnage in the same period was
only 6,606.275 gross tons. the total for
1917 being 2,7O3,355 tons.
| In addition to the latter, the total
enemy vessels captured since the war
began amounted to 2,589,00O gross
tons.
The figures given out publicly for
the first time by the British admiralty,
| ..speak for themselves" it is stated.
II is no longer felt necessary to hide
facts. it is explained. On the subject
! of losses. the admiralty "disclaIm any
desire to prophesy about so uncertain
a thing as war in it's submarine
phase"
Future Full of Uncertainty.
The results of the last year. how
ever. show the ability of our seamen
! to get on terms with the submarine
menace and gradually to gain the up
per hand.
assume the admiralty warns, that
| losses by submarines will continue to
decrease or that production of mer-
chant vessels will continue to increase
| 1t is emphasized that the publica-
garding the Uboat threat is solely to
"ensure the vigorous cooperation of
all concerned" in booming building
| while science is placing at our dis
posal means of offense and defense of
| which we have been in need.
Up to Ship Builders.
With both the American and Eng
lish production records for January
| sadly hampered by bad weather and
other factors the British figures to-
IIIT,.1 Law
statement sound an underlying note
of serious warning to shipyard mana
gers and workers. The point where
| production balances losses will be
postponed to a dangerous extent, un-
less more speed is shown all around,
the British statement warns frankly.
And besides meeting the constant
losses, the deficit of tonnage for the
past must be made up.
Great Britain is about to introduce
more unskilled ship labor, both male
and female. to meet the need for con-
slant action.
IF employers hesitate to play their
part" said the British statement, IF
men anywhere down tools or go slow
for any reason they are preju-
dicing the vital interests of the COM
munity."
The Hurley statement will Offset
much of the over-advertising of
Americas shipbuilding plans.
Comparative List of Ship Losses.
The last two quarters of 1917
showed a decline in ship losses over
the second quarter. but the figures
were higher than for any other period
except the fourth quarter of 1915.
Allied and neutral losses in 1915 by
quarters were:
First 32O.447: second. 3so.419;
third, 52s. 4S1; fourth, 494,373.
In 1916 they were:
First 524,194; second. 522,2S9;
third, $1,000: fourth, 1,159,343.
In 1917 they were:
First, 1.619,373; second. 2,236,9S4;
third. 1,494.473; fourth, 1,272,S43.
Financial Loss Stupendous.
No attempt was made to furnish the
economic loss involved, but it runs into
startling figures, for it is frequently
the case that a cargo is worth more
than $f,0OO,000.
The allied and neutral shipbuilding
was shown thus:
1914-1O12 800. 1915-1,2O2, 900.
1876, 6SS,0OO. 1917-First quarter,
$3.50 second quarter, 26,44O;
third quarter, 616.453; fourth quar-
ter, 923,023.
President Wilson is personally di-
recting much of his time and atten-
ton to the tonnage problem. Twice
a week he receives a detailed report
on progress or delay from Chairma n