Shipping Losses
The greatest of the needs of the Allies at the moment is Is ships. When we demand reinforcements at this or that distant front it should never be forgotten that the limiting conditions are the number of ships available and the distance they have re travel. Moreover, the position must get worse until the time comes—perhaps soon—when the Allies can build at least as lag as they lose. The report of the Chamber of Shipping for last yea: shows that total sinkings of British, Allied and neutral yew:, from the outbreak of war to the end of 1941 came to Av.: 8,300,000 tons gross, the enemy losses (of course, out of a mud smaller total) being between five and six millions. The sinkinp for the last six months of the year were fewer than they had been averaging illo,00n tons a month ; but in view of the Priint Minister's statement that there had been a serious increase in shipping losses during the last few months, it is evident that the full improvement has not been maintained. Moreover, the ships we possess have to do more work. We have more comm:% ments in distant seas arising from the Pacific war, and the den,. of the Mediterranean passage involves much longer journeys room Africa. At every point our war effort is handicapped by shortage of ships. The losses have been slightly offset by a quicker tun. round in the ports ; but the most hopeful element in a Ow situation is the speed-up in American building. It provide.: about r,000,000 tons deadweight in 1941, and is expected to pre duce about ar8,000,000 tons during the next two years. Already it is understood, the output shows a very big increase as compared with six months ago.
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