A most cheering and important piece of news is the
Admiralty statement that only four large merchant ships and two smaller ships were sunk last week by mine or submarine. In the previous week five large and six small vessels were sunk. Thus we lost in the past fortnight fewer ships than we lost on an average every week through February and March. Moreover, during the fortnight twenty-five ships were attacked unsuccessfully, so that the number of ships which escaped their assailants was greater than the number which succumbed, contrary to all previous experience. This points to a great improvement in the convoy system, especially, no doubt, in the Mediterranean. If the Navy can continue to keep down our losses of merchantmen as it has done in the jest fortnight, and the shipyards continue to increase their output, the gravest danger that threatens us will be averted.
