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Show H SHIPS LOST IN H THE WAR. H Ships continue to be sunk by the Hf submarines of Germany and Austria. HI: This constant cutting down of tho H world's shipping facilities, without a ; corresponding upbuilding in the big B; ship yards, eventually will affect tho R foreign commerce of the United B States. Bi Reports have come out of England m. that the shipyards were turning out H ships faster than the submarines M could sink them, but a London paper K snys the question of tonnage for car- B rylng the oversea trade and particu- H larly the growing scarcity of tonnage B under the British mercantile flag is H causing a good deal of anxiety. A M week or two ago, an unofficial an Hl nouncement was made that work H might be resumed on mercantile Bhip- M building in various yards of Great B Britain but so far no official confir- B mation has been received and from B tne meagre reports regarding govern- ment orders in several yards, it seems that there Is very little likelihood of a trnnsferance of any quantity of workmen work-men from government to private contracts con-tracts in the near future. As about one-fifth of the total mercantile tonn- age of Great Britain Is commandeered for admiralty purposes, and during the four weeks ending December S forty-nine forty-nine vessels were sunk These losses must react on the foreign for-eign trade of this country. There are not enough ships under the American flag to carry more than a small percentage per-centage of our oversea tonnage, and, with tho destruction of ship after ship, the time is not Yar distant when our exports will be limited to a greatly reduced carrying capacity on the high seas. |