Show BRITISH 1 Merchant Marine Is First Line of i Naval Defense in This War ARE FEEDING MANY LANDS E FreIghters Fight Boats U-Boats WM While Neutral 11 Craft Ply to Safe Z Zones Half Half nes-Half Tonnage Working for tor France Sent by England An n.-An n. anal analysis of the present pres- pres eat ent nt status stat s of Great Britain's merchant fleet as affected I by the war will Indicate Indi- Indi cate mON clearl clearly than any statement Issued Issue the extent to Which the lDer hant rh marine warine has been cn abSorbed absorbed ab- ab Into naU national naI service ser under the immediate mm r control of the government There is no IlO more emphatic proof of the fD In ln which Mch England Englan has haser placed leer her er resources at the disposal of the He war causa causo than this tins anal analysis of the merchant Heats fleets ts t's disposition British ships hips are working for France for Ital Italy for or the unfortunate neutral states that I would be threatened with starvation If f the allies did ld not help to keep them live alive Troops munitions equipment food supplies have haye been brought from all II quarters of the world in British ships hips not not exclusively for British con- con but for all of Britain's ales allies al- al lies es and for neutrals Without the British merchant marine the worlds world's International commerce would be al almost almost almost al- al most at a standstill A famous authority on shipping and naval aval affairs rece recently pointed out that the lie merchant marine has become the first line Une of naval defense in this tills war and nd It is literally true A majority of merchant ships are now armed and therefore take the same chances as warships They are attacked by the enemy nemy on on sight and they fight the enemy enemy en- en emy iny on sight Keep Out of Danger Neutral vessels have sought the less dangerous zones of opera operation on and ply their heir trade In waters far from the German German Gernan Ger- Ger man nan submarine bases where the they ma may reasonably be certain to remain unmolested un un- un- un molested To the British merchant fleet fleetIs fleets Is s left the uncomfortable duty of servIng lag Ing ig In those waters where submarines are re thickest where mines are strewn where the Germans show the least concern concern con- con cern ern for humanity where every hour and nd very every ver mile r represents presents the serious chance nance of death and destruction The French ministry of mercantile marine has issued a statement which sets ets forth the condition of the Fren French h merchant fleet It is stated that the French merchant marine amounts to tons of which tons has ms been loaned to France by Great Britain Thus it appears that half the working for France Is furnished furnish furnish- ed d by In Great Britain This Is particularly arly Interesting in view of the well- well known Inon fact that French shipping has been dealt with rather tenderly by the German submarines The greatest of French shipping cor- cor has been een particularly fortinate fortunate fortu- fortu nate in this regard and a curious ex- ex |