Shipping circles estimate that the. idle ships owned by Germany and fizly now total approximately 6,000- 000 tons, states "The Evening Stsndai The decision of Mussolini to fight on the side of Germany has precti-Golly doubled the Wumer of laid-up ships under the control of the Axis Powers.
The Italian navy has already failed ty carry out its task of protecting Mussolini's merchant ships. The bessie duty of a navy is to patrol and keep open over-seas trade routes for merchant ships. In this essential duty the Ballan navy has so far been un-
Italian shipowners have already suffered enormously through Mussolini's action. They have been robbed of the valuable freights which were theirs for the asking. It is Lighly probable that after the war Italy's shipping will be in sad need of repair as a result of months of idleness, Several of her ship-building yards have peen wrecked by RAF. bombs.
For several years Italy has adopted a policy of amalgamating her shipbuilding facilities and cutting out small yards, All her shipbuilding resources are grouped in certain areas Unlike this country, her middle-sized sards have been eliminated. Her Shipbuilding industry is an easy target from the air end can be dislocated without a great deal of difnculty.
In 1914 Germany's mercantile marine consisted of 2090 ships of 5,134,720 tons. In 1920 these figure' were reduced to 901 ships of 419,438 tons.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.