14 DECEMBER 1918, Page 3

An official return shows that our net loss of merchant

shipping during the war, up to the end of October, amounted to 3,4431012 tons. Our total losses from all causes were 9,031,828 tons, but we built 4,342,296 tons of new shipping, bought 530,000 tons of shipping abroad, and captured 716,520 tons of enemy shipping. The Allies and neutrals suffered a total loss of 6,021,958 tons, but they built 6,507,231 tons of new shipping, and also captured 1,676,155 tons of enemy shipping, so that they ended the war with over two million tons of shipping to the good. It may be remarked that they benefited through the work of the British Navy, which in 1914 forced numerous German ships to take refuge in North and South American ports, where they were seized last year.