§ 2. Mr. HOLTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the amount of ocean-going tonnage owned respectively on 1st July, 1914, and 1st January, 1918, by France, Italy, the United States, Japan, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)Specific information as to ocean-going tonnage at 1st July, 1914, is not available 1460 for each of the countries mentioned. It is impossible to state the position at January, 1918.
§ Mr. HOLTIs my right hon. Friend aware that the White Paper recently published states that the net increase is 1,000,000 tons?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy hon. Friend overstates the net gain. The summary on page 3 of the White Paper on Merchant Tonnage and the Submarine shows the position at the end of 1917 for foreign merchant ships as follows: Losses, 4,748,080 tons; gains, new construction, 3,574,720; enemy tonnage captured, 1,809,000; total gains, 5,383,720 tons. That is a net gain of 635,640 tons and not 1,000,000.