August, 1914-September 1, 1918 21,404,913

Total construction (allied and neutral)
August, 1914-September 1, 1918 14,247,825

Total enemy tonnage captured (to end of 1917) 3,795,000

Excess of losses over gains 3,362,088

Estimated normal increase in world's tonnage
if war had not occurred
(based on rate of increase, 1905-1914) 14,700,000

Net deficit due to war 18,062,088

In August, deliveries to the Shipping Board and other seagoing
construction in the United States for private parties passed allied and
neutral destruction for that month. The figures:

Gross (Actual) Tone
Deliveries to the Shipping Board 244,121
Other construction over 1,000 gross 16,918
Total 261,039
Losses (allied and neutral) 259,400
America alone surpassed losses for month by 1,630

NOTE.--World's merchant tonnage, as of June 30, 1914, totaled 49,089,552
gross tons, or, roughly, 73,634,328 deadweight tons. (Lloyd's Register.)

The climax to Germany's piratical submarine adventure took place a few
days after the armistice, when a mournful procession of
shamefaced-looking U-boats sailed between lines of English cruisers to
be handed over to the tender mercies of the Allied governments.

CHAPTER XXXVI

CHINA JOINS THE FIGHTING DEMOCRACIES

The circumstances connected with the entrance of the Republic of China
into the World War were as follows: On February 4, 1917, the American
Minister, Dr. Reinsch, requested the Chinese Government to follow the
United States in protesting against the German use of the submarine
against neutral ships. On February 9th Pekin made such a protest to
Germany, and declared its intention of severing diplomatic relations if
the protest were ineffectual. The immediate answer of Germany was to
torpedo the French ship Atlas in the Mediterranean on which were over
seven hundred Chinese laborers. On March 10th the Chinese Parliament
empowered the government to break with Germany. On the same afternoon a
reply was received from the German Government to the Chinese protest, of
a very mild character. The reply produced a great deal of surprise in
China.

A Chinese statesman made this comment on the German change of attitude:
"The troops under Count Waldersee leaving Germany for the relief o