War; Reich Loses Half U-Boats; Trawlers Armed London, Feb. 28.
T British Navy was discussed vital part being played in the Allied war effort by the by Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, when he spoke in the House of Commons last night on the naval estimates.
"While warning the House that further "painful losses" must inevitably be expected, he claimed heavy losses had been inflicted on German U-boats and that the Admiralty was on the way to mastering the menace of the magnet tic mine.
The House later passed the naval estimates, which were indicated by token sums, the undisclosed figure running into many millions.
Mr. Churchill was received with cheers when he rose to speak. to carry on their work.
"There has grown up a much wider understanding of the conditions under which the Navy and Admiralty do their duty and a wider comprehension of their duties, and of the certainty that mistakes will be made, both at Whitehall and on salt water, and that, however hard we try, the painful drain of losses will be sustained," Mr. Churchill continued.
"This will only make us more zealous to discharge our task, and to give satisfaction and win approval by producing good results, "I regret it is inexpedient to give the House precise facts and figures regarding the proposed strength and cost of the Navy, but there is no need to tell the enemy more than is good for him about what we are doing." laughter).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.