11 OCTOBER 1940, Page 5

This week's statistics of the sinkings of British and Allied

merchant ships fortunately lend support to the belief that last week's black total was exceptional. Then, it will be remem- bered, no less than 131,857 tons of British shipping alone was reported sunk. This week's total is just under 56,000—which, it may be observed, is not far short of double last year's weekly average, but considerably less than half the disastrous 131,857. Next week's figure should throw further light on the situation.

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