Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-08-09
GAIN 100000 TON
MONTH IN SHIPS
Geddes Tells House of Commons
of Net Increase Against
the U-BoatS.
LOSS FALLS, BUILDING RISES.
Year Ago Net Loss Was $4,000 Tons
MonthIy-on June 80 World Was
as Well Off as on Jan. 1, 1918,
Due to Reduced Sinkings.

London.-Sir Eric Geddes, first lord
of the British admiralty, gave the
House of Commons a review Of the
naval situation.
The first lord compared the situa-
ton today regarding tonnage with that
of q year ago. Then the net loss IN
tonnage, he said, was $4,000 gross
tons. Submarines then were not being
destroyed as fast as the Germans were
building them, while the merchant
shipyards were short Of men and ma
terIal. -Four hundred thousand tons
net loss monthly was the British
deficit. Every yard that could take
naval work had been put on naval
building.
Gradually during the last year, Sir
Eric continued, the position had chang
ed in many directions Instead OF los
Ing tonnage, the worlds net result IN
the last quarter had been gain rough
ly Of 100000 tons a month. The allied
and neutral world was as we'll Off on
June 80 as on January l, 1918. This
result, he declared, had been obtained
by reduced sinkings and increased
buildings.
The reduced sinkings had been ar
rived at, said the first lord Of the nd-
miralty, by q greater productive effort
devoted to warships and small craft OF
On anti-submarlne character. Nothing
commandeered or acquired tonnage
was included In this result
The total increase In labor last year
in shipbuilding yards, Sir Eric con-
tinued, was $4,000 men. The original
demand of year ago was for SO,ooo
additional workers, part Of them Skill
ed. Owing to events on the western
front and the great demands for tech
nical men for the air force and the
army II was impossible to obtain the
proper quota Of skilled men by theif
withdrawal from the army. Uskilled
men were offered freely, but they could
not be absorbed because of the lack or
skilled men.
The first lord declared that skilled
men still could not be obtained in sufti-
cient numbers to man the existing
yards. This situation had been feared,
so the government had decided to go
ahead at once with q scheme for build
ing simple ship which could be con-
structed with minimum of skilled la
bor This ship was designed and orig
mated in the admiralty.
1t is interesting, added the first lord,
that the very same problem confronted
America, and America met 1t In prac-
tically the same way-the same class
Of yard and the same type OF construc-
ton and with excellent results.
Merchant ship repairs, said Sir Eric,
were today engaging nearly two-thirds
as many workmen as were engaged on
new construction Of merchantmen.
But, he continued, the submarines
have found it too dangerous to work
inshore and are going far out. The
number Of ships damaged, as well as
sunk, Is decreasing, and the transfer
of men from repairs to new construc-
ton Is possible The number Of lnen
employed on new construction of war
ships and auxiliaries Is, roughly, 15O,-
600 and on merchantmen 100000.
Britain has borne the preponderat-
ing burden to a preponderatins extent
of fighting the submarines. The new
output Of anti-submarine ships, mines
and implements has been preponderat-
ingly ours, and the responsibility for
combating the menace has been ours.
Even today the increased assistance
brought about by the new construction
Of the allies is small indeed, but times
are changing.