New-York tribune., 1918-03-21

quate supply of men and material. In
the fourth quarter of 1917 the foreign
construction was $4,000 tons, ne
stated, giving a total output Of 932,ooo
tons, while the losses in the. same
period were 100000 tons, which were
the lowest since the intensive subma-
rine war began.
Britains Average Losses
Great Britain had lost on the aver
age 100000 tons monthly during the last
quarter of 1917 and had built l4Oooo
tons monthly, the First Lord announced.
British shipping had suffered the most,
he pointed out, but the British had
contributed the greatest naval effort
of the Allies and had sustained the
creates. attack, and should not bemoan
their scars.
Sir Eric declared that the German
statement of the Allied shipping loss.
es for January was an exaggeratlon OF
113 per cent. Since he had shown up
vious months, he added, the German
statement had not been issued and was
overdue.
The First Lords figures on the worlds
tonnage were reached after deducting
lake craft and considerable amount
of small craft. His figures on the
tonnage sunk included vessels dam
figures on losses included those due
both to enemy action and marine risks
The head Of the Admiralty empha--
sized the Importance Of the gradual
withdrawal of men from the army for
the shipyards, so that the army should
not be impaired and that men might be
replaced by efficient substitutes. The
yards were gradually getting from the
army all the skilled and semi skilled
shipyard men, he said, but there was
still a considerable deficiency in the
must be filled by newly trained men by
dilution and by grading up.
The output Of repair work, continued
} Sir Eric, had increased in February,
1918, as compared with August, 1917,
by so per cent; ten times more naval
craft were docked for repairs in the
; ; last quarter Of last year than in peace
! time, and more than 5000 ships were
.. dealt with in that period. The men SO
employed might have produced 100000
tons of merchant shipping if they had
been engaged in building.
The three main factors in the build
ing problem, said the speaker, were
first, patrol and other craft to destroy
: submarines ard safeguard ships at sea;
second, salvage and repair work; third
! the building of new merchant ships
1t would be simply providing sheer
for the butchers knife to put all tho
industry's energies into the building
of new ships, he remarked.
:, Sir Eric admitted that The iis&ppont
:, ing results for the January snd Febru
any building gave justiiiable cause TO,
4 anxiety. lie denied the charge that tn
mother to merchant shipping Th
E naval service, he declared, lad Otter
l subordinated its interests tc merchan
;, . shipping.
II I, The droo in the curve OF r,erchan
q tonnage losses was attributed by tn
e speaker manly to the efficiency of tn
L patrol and anti-submarine clait and t
the valuable convoy work of other yes
), sells.
n The outpu. of guns and a.'munitio
r in 1917 was nearly double that of tn
IL previous year and the outpus of all
e planes was two and one-ha!f times a
g large, while arrangements were i
e p. ogress daring 1917 providing fo
IS great increases this year.
Il The First Lord defendel the shir
ping controller and the .Admiralt
m been della yea by changes il the design
C of ships on the stocks. The reason
sr for the changes were, he said, to secur
g increased sreed that submar.na attack
s, might De evaded, to secure create
l. comfort for the crews, to si.apllfy tn
in designs, to convert ships into oil tanE
a ers and to provide additional heav
N gun mountings
is Ex-Premier Asquith, welcoming tn
n publication Of the shipping output an
Or the losses, said that SO far from di:
he quieting the country or giving il
Of formation to the enemy, it would hav
.he best possible effect in regularizin
We the position and enabling the countl
tn to face the facts without panic
IL cucnic;on