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Show BOARDOFTRAOE REPORTS OH THE SUB-HE IR Conclusion Is Reached That Unrestricted Campaign Must Be Disappointing to the Germans. LOSSES OF BRITISH STEADILY REDUCED Neutrals Suffer More Than Belligerents; Only 13 English Ships Sunk During Dur-ing Last Week. PARIS, March U, 11:35 p. m. An official statement issued by the admiralty tonight says that during tlie week ending March 11 707 merchant ships of all nationalities above 100 tons net and exclusive of fishing and coasting vesL is entered French ports. In the same period two French ships of over 1500 tons grocs were sunk by submarines or mines. LONDON, March 14. The Associated Press has been' placed in possession of a review of the first six weeks of the German Ger-man unrestricted submarine campaign. The figures given are from the board of trade reports and the conclusions are those of a highly competent authority. The German submarine campaign, reported to have assumed enhanced vigor on February 1, must be singularly singu-larly disappointing to the Germans themselves, says the review. At the beginning of January, 1917, Great Britain possessed approximately 3731 vessels of 1C00 tons and over. Many others of lesser tonnage are not taken Into consideration, owing to the importance im-portance of restricting the question of overseas traffic and cargo,, judging the results carefully and looking to possible future developments. From February 1 until March (14?) the losses of British ships of over 1600 tons were approximately 78, which number deducted from the total leaves the British mercantile marine with 3653 ships of over 1600 tons after six weeks of German submarine warfare. Ships Being Built. It should be remembered that a very large proportion of tonnage is on the stocks building for the British mercantile mer-cantile marine, and a fair percentage . of the total is being turned out monthly. month-ly. In the total above mentioned no account is taken of ships completed or bought in neutral countries. During tlie period from February 1 to March 10, no British ships have been in any way blockaded In harbor. Every opportunity of carrying out their plans has been at the disposition of the Germans after their declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare. It is extremely improbable that the German Ger-man authorities will ever have the same opportunity, for the following reasons: First A large number of old tramp steamers, slow of speed, have been sunk, as they afforded easy prey. Second Their efforts would be directed di-rected for the first six weeks or two months toward producing the most considerable results by careful organization organ-ization and administration with a view to affecting the morale of neutral neu-tral nations. A careful study of the German methods has been made by the British naval authorities, and . anti-submarine measures have been adopted which, as the outcome of experience, ex-perience, have attained a large measure mea-sure of success. Arming of Merchantmen. Third The arming of merchant vessels ves-sels is rapldlv taking place, and it is capable of proof that a submarine takes particular care In attacking armed vessel?, a large percentage of which always escape. Fourth Anti-submartne devices are being dally perfected, but a little time must necessarily elapse in order that tiiev should receive a proper trial. Fifth The German naval authorities authori-ties are bound to find some difficulty in replacing the trained personnel, of which they have lost a considerable portion. It should be remembered that there Is considerable difference between the efficiency of individual commanders, and the greatest losses ha v been incurred through the action ac-tion of a few German suhmarine com-niunders. com-niunders. who. by their skill and training, stand far above the average F-boat officers who leave Germany on missions of destruction. Losses Steadily Reduced. The losses of the British mercantile marine uro bein-jf- steadily reduced. Durinar Hie past two weeks only t went v -nl ne have been sunk, as opposed op-posed to forty-eight In the first two weeks. The vessels engaged in the" coastal trade are continually exposed to German submarines and are naturally nat-urally Included in a German commander's com-mander's report?. The most serious aspt of the German submarine warfare le that reflected by consideration of post-bellum post-bellum conditions with regard to fr-bortagp of world tonnage. Besides affecting the whole world. It e- likely to, a fleet most seriously the smaller nations, who have no mercantile marine ma-rine of t heir own to rely upon and are dependent upon that of other nations na-tions for their sea traffic. However How-ever much the Germans may uesire to force neutrals to lay up their vessels ves-sels and clos neut ral harbors, surh a. ftaie of t bines cannot exist long, because the neutrals themselves must Continued on Pa.io Four.k I BOARD OF TRADE GIVES FIGURES (Contmued from Page One.) obtain certain necessaries in order to avoid the intense economic situa-' situa-' tion which at present obtains in Germany. Ger-many. This fact is necessarily better bet-ter known to the neutrals themselves than to those not immediately concerned. con-cerned. As regards the general situation of the submarine warfare, It may thus be summed up: It is having a more serious effect upon European neutrals than upon belligerent mercantile marines. The continual losses of ships will seriously affect postbellum trade. The losses of British mercantile mer-cantile vessels in the first six weeks represent a percentage of 2.3, while the average dally movement of vessels ves-sels in United Kingdom ports is 710. This figure excepts fishing and local craft. Would Take a Year. If the same rate of destruction were to continue at this average, it would take at least a year to reduce the British mercantile marine by one- half, without taking into consideration considera-tion additional tonnage procured from building or purchase. Food restrictions in' Great Britain are very necessary and have been imposed in order to avoid the effects of the war pressing too greatly upon the poorer classes of the country, coun-try, and they further curtail lavish expenditure and the waste of provisions. pro-visions. It is the custom of the German authorities au-thorities to issue official criticisms of measures adopted by the allies as regards re-gards the control of foodstuffs and re- strictions on imports, and these criticisms crit-icisms are produced entirely ror the consumption of neutrals and are an attempt to impress their own population, popula-tion, with the efficiency of what they term their "submarine blockade." It is only to be expected that we are bound to take precautions in order or-der to avoid within the next two years economic stress which might then exist here as it actually does in Germany today. The passage of troops and munitions continues without with-out any diminution, and only the neutral countries of Holland, Denmark Den-mark and Sweden are experiencing a temporary reduction in the amount of exports from England. Apart from butter, the import of foodstuffs in February has been very sufficient, and it should not be forgotten that in the statistics showing the quantity quan-tity of foodstuffs imported in the month of February to British points a considerable quantity which normally nor-mally reaches them has been diverted to French ports for the use of the British army. Imports Satisfactory. Despite this, however, the position regarding home imports themselves is satisfactory. Flour and grain for February are above the average. Meat shows from 10 to 15 per cent increase above the average of the last seven years. Margarine Is coming in greater quantities than in any previous year, and this provides for the falling off in butter. Rubber is increasing slowly each month and the February average was above that of January. Iron ore shows one-third increase over 1915 and 1916. If any conclusion can be drawn from the board of trade statistics of the import of necessities into Great Brit-tain Brit-tain during the month of February, a very different result would be shown by the German submarine blockade, for up to the present time there has been no falling off except in sugar, wood and butter. |