Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1918-01-30

SUB WAR SHOWS
US. FAR AHEAD
German Undersea Craft Have
Sunk Sixty-Nine Vessels
While America Has Added
107 Vessels to Its Tonnage.
Rv Review Leased wirel


NEW YORK. Jan 29.-In the twelve
months of unrestricted warfare
launched against American and allied
shipping by Germany one year ago
Friday, there have been SUM by SUD-
marines, mines and raiders sixty-nine
American vessels totaling 171.s61
gross tons. according to a careful COM
piIatiOn Of records Of sinkings which
have been made public during rhe pen
cd.
Offsetting this loss American YES
sels, most OF which were sailing ships,
the United States since February lst,
has added TO her merchant ma-ine by
the seizure of former German and Aus
trian owned ships. total of l97 veS-
sels having a gross tonnage Of SS6. .4si,
leaving on the credit side of .he Am
erican ledger in the account with the
central powers. a net gain of 5I5.fS3
gross tons The loss of life caused bT
the sinking of the sixty-nine American
ships was more than 300 persons, how
ever
Percentage Small
The percentage OF sinkings of Amer
ican ships compared with the number
OF vessels which have sailed through
the war zone successfully is small
Records of the department of COM
merce show that for the period begin
ming with February, 1917. and erfils
with December l, there were cleared
from American ports in the foreign
trade ships aggregating 17.73S.s .sD9 net,
or approximately 24.SS4. .460 gross tons
The number of ships making up the
total of tons was not made public
Further offsetting the loss of ton
mage Occassioned by the submarine
warfare. the United States, through
the shipping board. requisitiOned in
American shipyards 426 vessels total
ing more than 2,O00 900 gross tons and
contracts have been awarded for SS4
ships. a large number OF which are
under way and are being rushed 10
completion In addition. the shipping
board on October 18th. last, placed un-
der government reQuisitiOn 393 AIncrI-
can vessels OF over 250G tons dead
weight capacity which were already
afiOat and Immediately. assigned them
to the task of carrying supplies for the
allies and the American forces abroad
Included in these requisitioned YES
sels were twenty-one ships in Great
Lakes trade and in addition there
were Communicated twenty-four steam
ers building on the lakes for foreign
account and ready for launching. vir-
tually all of these were brought to At
lantic coast ports and Immediately puI
into service
anterned Vessels
Another difficulty which faced the
United States in the task of putting 10
sea vessels to offset the ravages Of the
U-boats was the repairing of the ''wil-
full damage" done TO the former Ger
man ships by their officers and crews
before the ships were seized. This
cost millions OF dollars and IN many
instances called for the highest engi-
neering skill to make and replace
parts OF foreign built engines and boil
ers removed or broken
Indicating that the task has been
attended by success, the statement
was made today by a prominent Off
cial connected with the shipping
board. that every seized vessel was
now completely repaired and in ser
vice Many Of them have made as
many as three and four round trips
through the war zone.
Three OF the former German vessels
have been the objects of successful at
tack by the submarines The ActaeOn.
formerly the Adamsturn. and the Ow-
asco. formerly the Allemannia. were
sunk. and the Armenia was hit by n
. torpedo hut was saved after being
beached. Several other former Ger
man ships have been attacked but es-
capped.
The announced sinkings of British
ships for the year up. to and including
the week ending January 23rd. have
been 1.035 vessels of which 763 were
over 1900 tons and go we're under
that figure The joint losses of France
and Italy have been averaged three to
four large vessels weekly.