The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-02-11

erican shipping to be completed July 1, will give the allies gross increase of approxi- mately 100000 tons of entirely new ship ping by the end of the year.
 This of course, does not mean net in crease of that amount The losses incurred through the submarine warfare has to be deducted from this amount. There is no de6- nite figure to be found showing the tonnage being lost monthly at this time. But in July and August of last year Lloyd George stated that the losses to British shipping were near 175,OOO tons monthly. Since that time, it is officially declared that the losses have been decreasing steadily each month. This loss is to British shipping alone, and the losses to other allied shipping is believed to be about fifty per cent of the loss to British fleets. Taking into consideration the decrease in the rate of destruction, and figuring a total loss in all allied shipping of 100000 tons monthly, which is believed to be liberal estimate, the submarines will destroy approximately 2,4OO, OoO tons of shipping during the present year. This will give a net increase to allied ship ping of approximately S,OOOOOO tons.
 These figures are not arbitrary and may be little too high, but 1t can be seen that the secretary at least has a sound basis for his calculations. If the figures which have been given out by both the British and Am erican officials are to be relied upon, and there has been no question raised concerning their accuracy, the country has every reason to ex- pect that not only will the ships be ready for the men, but, what is of equal if not of more importance, there will be sufficient shipping to insure the transportation of all supplies necessary to keep them on the battlefront
 IT. ic aODarer that thera ic ,,,ora in ttic attack than patriotic desire to see that war preparations are properly carried out. It looks very much like an organized attempt to bring about the downfall of Secretary Baker and discredit the administration. It is not part of the war departments work to provide ship ping for the transportation of troops When it has trained the men and properly equipped them, provided for their food, clothing, mu- nitions, and kept sufficient reserves of both men and supplies all ready for duty, its task is complete. If these are ready, it is up to the federal shipping board to furnish the shipping and the navy's job to see that this shipping is protected. Neither Senator Hitchcock nor Senator Chamberlain has ever claimed that the men will not be ready. They have failed to show that the equipment and all necessary supplies will be ready when they are needed. Both of these critics seem to have dodged this, and claim that the secretary is mislead- ing the country because, even if the men are ready, there won't be enough ships to trans port them, and proceed to jump on him for that. If they know that this is true, the fed eral shipping board should be made the tar get of their criticisms.
 Senator Hitchcock's declaration that President Wilson does not know the real facts of the situation may sound reasonable to him and his ilk, but it will be greeted with incredulity by the vast majority of Ameri- cans, most of whom are ready to back the President against either Senator Hitchcock or Senator Chamberlain at any odds The country is overwhelming in its belief in the wisdom of its leader and confidence in his judgment, and will back him to the very limit
 If any man of German blood should make the same assertions from public plat form or in the streets which the administra- tions critics have been voicing from the floor of the senate chamber, he would be jugged for his utterances. When Senator Williams, in his answer to Senator Hitchcock yester- day, stated that the attack upon the war de- partment was inspired indirectly by pro-Ge man propaganda, he evidently struck at the root of the whole business The munitions bureau and war cabinet legislation, whether so intended or not, will largely take away the Presidents power to handle the war prob lems, leaving him with the responsibility and depriving him of much authority, which would be all that any pro-German could ask for at this time.