The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-03-15
SINKING U,BOATS
AS FAST AS BUILT
Loss Of Shipping is Steadily
Decreasing.
PRODUCTION is TAGGING
Despite Glowing Reports In American
Press, He Says, Desired Out
put Is Not In
Sight.


every effort to increase their produc-
ton of ships" Sir Eric Geddes, First
Lord of the Admiralty, said, "but, de-
spite glowing reports in the American
press and great as the effort of that
country doubtless is. there is no doubt
a considerable time must elapse be.
fore ,the desired output is obtained"
The trend of the figures of loss OF
shipping by enemy action was steadily
improving, Sir Eric stated. The loss
to the worlds tonnage during Febru-
airy was little more than a half the
loss during February of last year, he
said.
Sir Eric, whose address was de-
.livered in the House of Commons,
said the naval forces of the Allies in
European waters would be augmented
shortly by a force of Brazilian war
ships.
In the waters around the British
Isles, which had been the enemy's
chief field for submarine operations.
the greatest successes against the o.
boats had been obtained so far, lat
terly with the help of American naval
forces, said Sir Eric. On the other
hand, conditions in the Mediterranean
had been more difficult. Losses there
accounted for some 80 per cent. OF
merchant ships sunk. The resources
for combating the submarines in those
waters were less adequate and the sue
cesses obtained less satisfactory.
For some MONTHS" said Sir Eric,
1--WE believe that we and the Ameri-
cans have been sinking submarines
as fast as they are built"
1t became increasingly evident, the
first Lord went on, that as the re-
sources for combating the submarines
improved, it would be possible to turn
attention more to the Mediterranean.
He continued:
II recently went to Rome for meet
ing of the Allied naval committee and
also inspected naval establishments in
the Mediterranean, including those OF
the Greek Navy. British naval officers
are assisting the Greeks in reorgani-
cation of their navy, which already is
cooperating in the Mediterranean and
rendering valuable service"
1t was perhaps natural, Sir Eric COM
tinued, that cooperation between
Great Britain and the United States
should be extremely close.
On behalf of himself and his col
leagues he wished publicly to pay
tribute to the whole-hearted and gem
erous devotion to the prosecution of
the war which governed the action of
every representative of the United
States Navy with whom they came
into contact. The personnel of all
ranks, he said, had the respect and
esteem of the officers of the British
Navy.
Concerning shipbuilding, he said
there was no lack of materials at
the present time and that there We're
more men in the yards, but the output
reached only $4,000 tons in January, al
though it should have been much larg-
er. 1t was, true the weather was ex-
ceptionally bad and also that January,
owing to the holidays, always was a
bad month for the output of ships.
One week or one month could not be
taken by itself. He expressed the
opinion that February would be shown
to have made nearly twice as good a
record as January, although only
about two-thirds of what the same
yards had done previously with fewer
men.
. Submarines were being destroyed
in increasing numbers, he continued.
and as the methods emple ed against
them were developed the numbers
would be enlarged still further. There
was growing reluctance on the part
of German crews to put to sea. The
chances that a submarine would re-
turn from voyage in the water
around England were one in four or
one in five.