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Show SSase Low Point in Tonnage Was Reached on February 1 Authorities Are Optimistic. WASHINGTON, Feb. 21. Overseas ship tonnage available to America and the allies passed its low point about February 1, several weeks earlier than shipping experts had predicted. Officials believe the upward curve will continue until the war Is ended, unless difficulties not now foreseen aro encountered. In support of this belief, attention was called today to the satisfactory results re-sults obtained in the campaign against enemy submarines to the fact that government ships now are coming from American yards and to the progress prog-ress of negotiations for neutral vessels to be used in the non-hazardous trades to release other shipping for overseas carrying. When experts first plotted the curve of the tonnago supply, taking into consideration the greatest success suc-cess of submarines and all possible contingencies in tho domestic situation, situa-tion, they found that the number of vessels available for transporting troops and for feeding the allies would be lower toward the end of this mouth than at any other period. Just how close to the danger point that would be they did not care, to say. Knowledge Knowl-edge that the Germans sank about 6,000,000 tons of ships in 1917, nearly threo times as much as was produced in Great Britain and tho United States, did not changer their estimates. For the last three weeks, the charts of the shipping board have shown a steady upward trend. Officials think that from now on, new factors will aid rather than retard the efforts to put more ships into service. Chief of these will be the restriction of Imports, Im-ports, made effective February 16, the results of which will not be noticeable notice-able for weeks yet. As more ships are needed, they will be withdrawn from the neutral trade and commerce with those countries curtailed to that extent. ex-tent. Officials declined to say what was the dominating factor In checking th decline in available tonnage, but It l well known that optimistic opinions are held regarding the anti-submarine campaign. Despite labor troubles, confidence con-fidence is expressed that the goal ol 4,000,000 tons of shipping will be built In this country this year. Sailing vessels, ves-sels, of which there are 2,500,000 tons under the American flag, are being put into the coastwise and other trade, to release the faster steamers for trans-Atlantic service |