The following table, taken from a pamphlet distributed by the Emergency Fleet Corporation six months before the conclusion of the war, gives a perspicuous view of the shipping situation at the opening of military operations in the United States:
THE WAR AND WORLD SHIPPING
| Gross Tons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World's shipping (except German and Austrian) August 1, 1914 | 42,574,537 | |||
| Additional ships built, August, 1914—December 31, 1917 | 6,621,003 | |||
| German and Austrian interned ships available for use of Allies | 875,000 | |||
| ———— | ||||
| Total | 50,070,540 | |||
| Losses since 1914. | ||||
| Due to ordinary causes. | 1,600,000 | |||
| Due to mines, raiders and submarines: | ||||
| Allies | 8,900,119 | [17] | ||
| Norway | 1,031,778 | |||
| Other neutrals | 400,000 | |||
| Total | 11,931,897 | |||
| ———— | ||||
| Balance actual tonnage available | 38,138,643 | |||
| Net decrease since 1914 | 4,435,894 | |||
| Add 2 tons constantly required to maintain each man in France (1,500,000 men × 2) | 3,000,000 | |||
| Shortage for merchant traffic, at least | 7,435,894 | |||
[17]To October, 1917.
Another table gives a view of the rates between the building and sinking of ships among the Allied, neutral, and British nations from the beginning of the war to April, 1918:
"The world's shipping suffered a net loss of 2,632,279 tons from the beginning of the war to April 1, 1918, the greater part of this having occurred since the beginning of the unrestricted submarine warfare which brought America into the war. This loss is partly due to England's having increased her naval building at the expense of merchant tonnage. While naval construction must not be neglected, some building capacity can be turned back to merchant ship-building in case of extreme need. However, in April, 1918, Great Britain and the United States built 40,000 tons more shipping than was lost, and American construction is still rapidly increasing."
AMERICA'S SHIP-BUILDING PROGRAM
American ship-building was planned on grandiose lines, partly to make good the losses by submarine, partly to provide transportation for American troops to Europe, and partly for propaganda purposes in friendly and in enemy countries. The American program was an ambitious one. Inflated figures were offered for popular consumption and undoubtedly they were consumed and had their influence in securing a successful close to the struggle. While reports were coming from Great Britain telling of constant labor troubles on the Clyde and other ship-building localities, every item of news from Washington spoke of the marvelous achievements of American ship-building. One message read after eight months of the war had passed: "For the first time in history America has outdistanced England in her ship-building output."
Foreign critics called attention to the fact that American figures of ship-building (1918) had a different basis of valuation from those of other countries. In one case there were vessels completed and entered for service, and in another there were vessels launched. The situation is presented by the London Economist: