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162 New Cunard Agent Charles P. Sumner, who for many years past has successfully managed the business of the Cunard line in New York, resigned recently. The unre- mitting strain of the last few years has placed a heavy tax on Mr. Sum- ner’s health and strength, and he did not feel justified in undertaking the reorganization of the company’s American business, which now in- cludes the Commonwealth & Domin- ion lines to Australia and New Zea- land, in addition to the Cunard and Anchor lines to Europe. The con- solidation of these lines was made in preparation for the new condi- tions which will exist after the war. Mr. Sumner has had a long and distinguished career in the maritime world. A native of Boston, he first entered the shipping business in New York in 1870, when he opened a branch for George Warren & Co., ship owners and merchants. Upon Mr. Warren’s death, Mr. Sumner suc- ceeded to the business and established the firm of Charles P. Sumner & Co. This business he continued, repre- senting Rankin & Gilmore, Edward Bates & Sons, and a number of prom- Start HE five battle cruisers which i have been awarded will be the first vessels of this type in the American navy. They are officially known as Nos.1to5, inclusive. They will be the largest and fastest vessels of this type ever laid down for any navy. The main characteristics are: Displacement, 34,800 tons; speed, 35 knots; length, 850 feet beam, 91 feet; armament, ten 14-inch guns, eight torpedo tubes, eighteen 5-inch guns, four 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and other guns of lesser caliber. Their high- power machinery installations are pro- tected by armor consistent with the de- sign. A new feature of these vessels, never before incorporated in any ship of a powerful military type, will be their complete equipment for carrying, launching and operating the largest size hydroplane. The limit of cost for these vessels is $16,500,000. The four battleships for which contracts were recently awarded will be known as CoLorApO, MARYLAND, WASHINGTON and West Vircrnia. They will be slight- ly larger than their predecessors, TEN- NESSEE and Cat.irorNiA. Their chief characteristics are: Displacement, 32,- 600 tons; speed, 21 knots; battery, eight 16-inch guns, twenty-two 5-inch guns, four 3-inch anti-aircraft guns; comple- ment, 1,022. They will have the same THE MARINE REVIEW T. ASHLEY. SPARKS inent English ship owners, until he joined the Cunard .company as _ its Boston representative. He was founder and owner of the Sumner line of steamers between New York and Liverpool, which was the first line on large cruising radius which character- izes all recent United States battleships. Their ‘armor protection and underwater protection against torpedo attack will ‘ be unusually complete.. The 44 torpedo boat destroyers, also Why Submarine Losses Are Hidden : The wisdom of the British gov- ernment in suppressing information regarding the number of enemy sub- marines destroyed is generally ad- mitted by shipping men. The pur- pose of this policy, as outlined by a representative of a leading British line in this country, is temporarily to make unnecessary the protection of considerable expanses of water. “The German submarines are sent out to patrol certain ‘beats, ” said this authority. “The British de- stroyers discover and sink it. If this fact is published another U-boat is sent out by Germany to take its place, but otherwise the Germans do not learn of the loss until another submarine is sent out to relieve the one destroyed or until the time when it would have returned to its base. Similarly, the names of ships sunk are not made public now so that U-boats sent out to sink a particular vessel may lie in wait for it even after it has been destroyed.” Se May, 1917 of importance exclusively devoted to the transportation of freight and live- stock between those two ports. The boats which composed it are now engaged in trading in the far east. Mr. Sumner will be succeeded by T. Ashley Sparks, a partner in the firm of Funch, Edye & Co., present agents of the Commonwealth & Do- minion line in New York. ‘Mr. Sparks will join the board of directors of the Cunard company. At the same time arrangements are being made for the incorporation of the firm of Funch, Edye. & Co., and for the acquisition by the Cunard company of an interest in the business, which will, however, continue to be managed entirely by the partners, who now constitute the firm. Mr. Sparks was born in London in 1877. He came to the United States in 1897 to join Shewan, Tomes & Co., of Hong Kong, and was agent in New York for them during the period from 1900 to 1907. He formed and managed from 1903 to 1907, the American-Asiatic Steam- ship Co., running a freight service between New York and the far east. ._ In 1907, he joined the firm of Funch, Edye & Co., as a partner. Units contracted for recently, are known as Nos. 75 to 118. Like their predecessors, they will carry a very heavy battery and will have an unusually large cruising radius for vessels of their class.” They represent a small increase in displace- ment over the last vessels laid down, but will be capable of an increased speed of about five knots. Their chief charac- teristics will be: Displacement, 1,185 tons; speed, 35 knots; battery, four 4-inch guns; four triple torpedo tubes; two anti-aircraft guns; complement, 95. These vessels will attain their rated speed on their full design displacement and not on a very much lesser displace- ment which can only be attained by stripping the vessels of many essential features, as is done by a number of foreign boats of this class for which very high speeds are claimed. In addition to the vessels described above, as well as those listed in the table on the facing page, the navy department has awarded contracts for about 200 small submarine chasers, is building 64 in government navy yards and is buying others. Bids were taken April 11 for 38 800-ton sub- marines. In about two months, bids will be opened for three 42,000-ton . battleships, completing the present naval program.