SHIPS

The naval expenditures of Great Britain, from April, 1926, to March, 1927, are said to have been 58,000,000 pounds sterling. Those of France in 1926 are said to have been 1,842,800,000 francs. Those of Italy, from July, 1926, to June, 1927, are said to have been 1,209,600,000 lire. By way of comparison, the United States spent for naval purposes, from July, 1926, to June, 1927, $320,553,000. The French figures are incomplete, not showing how much was spent for the construction of new ships. (Par of exchange for pounds, francs, lire, may be found under the next heading).

The United States has 18 battleships, with a tonnage of 325,850. Great Britain has 20, with a tonnage of 580,450. France has 9, with a tonnage of 194,544. Italy has 7, with a tonnage of 133,670. The United States has 10 war cruisers, with a tonnage of 75,000. Great Britain has 54, with a tonnage of 304,000. France has 12, with a tonnage of 104,883; and Italy has 12, with a tonnage of 67,330. The United States has three airplane carriers, with a tonnage of 78,700; Great Britain has six, with a tonnage of 107,550; France has one of 21,653 tons. Of the first line destroyer type of war vessel, the United States has 276 destroyers; Great Britain has 17 leaders and 156 destroyers; France has 7 leaders and 34 destroyers; Italy has 8 leaders and 45 destroyers. Only about 100 of the American destroyers are kept in commission.

The gross tonnage of merchant vessels, 1928, was 19,875,000 for Great Britain; 3,777,000 for Germany; 3,334,000 for France; 2,968,000 for Norway; 2,817,000 for the Netherlands; 3,429,000 for Italy; and 493,000 for Belgium.

The tonnage of ships built in 1927 was 1,226,000 in the United Kingdom; 72,000 in Denmark; 44,000 in France; 289,000 in Germany; 120,000 in the Netherlands; 101,000 in Italy, and 67,000 in Sweden.