Evening star., 1924-07-10
GERMAN SHIPPING
|SF|GHT|NG BACK
Ninety Per cent Loss as Re-
suit of War Already More
Than Half RegaIned.
NOW IN SEVENTH PLACE
Dropped From Second Position in
1919 to Eleventh, in
1920.
NOW IN SEVENTH PLACE
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
HAMBURG. July 1o.-German ship
ping claims to be fighting against
tremendous odds in its attempt to re-
gain its place in the sun. The loss
of 90 per cent of the German COM
mercial fleet through the war and
the terms of surrender means that
German ship owners practically have
had to start anew. BY taking up
loans, buying back some of the ships
delivered to the entente victors un-
der the treaty of Versailles and re-
framing from paying dividends in re-
cent years. the shipping concerns of
Germany have gradually worked up
postwar tonnage of 100000 gross
register tons, which is about one-half
the German pre-war tonnage, and
which comprises per cent of the
total world tonnage. as compared
with IL per cent in 1914.
From eleventh place in 1920 among
the shipping nations of the world.
Germany has moved to seventh place
by 1921, as compared with second
place in 1914.
of the League of German Ship Own
ers and Freighters, in prepared
statement replying to specific ques-
tons. gave the following picture of
shipping conditions:
In 1914 the German merchant ma
rine occupied second place among the
merchant fleets of the world as far
as actual tonnage was concerned It
lster tens and was surpa only by
Great Britain. -....
Half Lost in War.
I'm the course of the war GERMANY
lost about half of her ships through
SEIZURE, sinking. etc. Next, in ac-
saiiies treaty. she had to give up ap-
proximately the second half Includ-
ed among the vessels that had to be
turned over to the victors were all
the larger passenger boats. The Ger
mans were permitted to retain only
the ships under 1000 tons and one
nalt the vessels between 1000 and
i;eoo tons. BY the peace treaty and
me herman legislation resulting
therefrom German shipping was com
pelled to pay a part Of the war bfIl
lmme dlately in kind by giving up
not only. the ships already in the
Struction
1t was the sense Of the treaty of
versailles that this delivery bv pri-
Vate capital was to be reea rded "a
payment on account by the Ger
nan empire and hence to be refund
~ TO the individual concerns bv the
,.erman state. The. financial condi
4on ot-the Reich made complete in
oemnlncation impossible. An agree
ment was, therefore, reached he
tween the government and the si,in
owners by which the latter were TO
receive an amount sufficient to re-
omid but one-third of their pre-war
tonnage. Because of the imitation OF
ments of the government did not
sufrlce to rebuild the third of the
2id tonn agreed upon. Besides, in
distrlbutlng the government indem-F
be given the preferences. so that most
Of the larger concerns were able to
hnance replacement program of but
20 per cent Of the .pre-war tonnage
government. The fact that the
larger concerns nevertheless rebuilt
on an average one third of their old
tonnage is due solely TO their water
ing their stock and assuming new
debts
{ Gained Half It's Strength. =.
Due to the fact that a number
of small and middle sized concerns
were able to exceed this program
and that several new companies
have been founded, the entire Ger
man merchant marine has now. upon
completion of the reconstruction pro-
gram. been brought to 100000 tons
lin other words, to about one-haIr
of the prewar tonnage-both by
new construction and through the
repurchase of vessels delivered.
rCompared with the former fleet,
the present comprises comparatively
few purely passenger ships, and more
mixed freight and4p passenger vessels
as well as freighters pure and sim
pie. The fact that these newly con-
structed ships are equipped with
modern machinery does not counter |
balance the fact that the total value |
of the ships has deprecated over the ,
pre-war value -
Old Routes Resumed.
Germany has taken up her prfn- |
cipal former routes. such as those to
North America. South, America, the
Orient, Dutch East Indies and
Australia. The tonnage at the |
Sfrvice of these routes is, of course,
considerably reduced. especially since
I'LL