Delay means, of course, a loss of carrying-power, and when tonnage is already short any proposal which must reduce its efficiency has to be very carefully examined.

In the first three weeks of July, 1918, twenty-three ships of 122,721 deadweight tons were completed, making a total of 223 new vessels built under the direction of the board up to that time, the aggregate tonnage being 1,415,022 tons.

" The Arabic's tonnage was 15,201 gross.

Both in the number of lives and the tonnage lost, the battle was the greatest sea-fight in history, as well as the first in which modern dreadnaughts have been engaged.