Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-01
ONLY ONE DIRECT
BID ON CRUISERS
Other Modified Proposals
Made for Building of Scout
Vessels.
CLOSE TO THE COST LIMIT

4ue Codltlc, \ WASN'T SOHStIQStlOh anu
Dry Dock Company was the only con-
Germ to submit a direct proposal today
for construction Of one of the four
swift scout cruisers authorized as q
part Of the 1917 naval building program
The limit OF cost for the hull and
machinery of the ships was fixed al
$5.000.o0 The Seattle company proposed
to construct one ship within thirty
months for s4.s75.o0o.
Submit Modified Bids
The Fore River Shipbuilding Corpora
ton of Quincy, Mass. was the only
other company to submit figures.
Under a very modified contract form
the company proposed .t to build d.. on :,
thirty-six months, at cost OF s4.'
900. 600 each. In each case. however
the company based its proposal upor
the acceptance by the Navy Depart
ment Of plan by which f1uctuation:
in prices Of material or labor woult
be figured, the federal trade commits
sion deciding any questions.
The Union Iron Works of San Fran
cisco proposed to construct two ships
profit, and the Fore River Company
with which the Union Iron Works IL
allied, submitted a similar alternative
proposal.
Company had in view the arrangemen
of sliding scale by which profit would
be figured. under which it would De
both to the interest of the contractor
and the government to reduce the
actual cost Of construction.
Cannot Undertake Both.
The Fore River Company further
noted that if it secured. CONTRACTS for
the construction Of either battleship OF
battle cruisers Of the 1917 program it
would be unable to undertake con-
struction of scout cruisers.
The New York Shipbuilding Company
was unable to get its estimates within
the FIVE million dollar limit set by Con-
gress.
Bids for armor for four battleships
and four battle cruisers also were
opened Prices for the bulk of the or
der ranged from 1920 a ton by the
Bethlehem company to $427 a ton by
the Midvale.
The Carnegie company said that fol
armor for two battleships and one battle
cruiser the entire capacity of its armol
plant would be taken up for two years
New Type of Vessel.
The scout cruisers are the first YES
sells of their type to be designed for the
navy.
They are to make thirty-five knots ar
hour. sustained speed. and to extend
their field Of, daylight operation. each
will carry four high-power hydro-air.
planes which can be launched at sea
in any weather by means Of catapult
device perfected by navy engineers. The
theory Of naval experts is that the scout
cruisers can run out in front of a battle
fleet over night. reaching a distance OF
several hundred miles from the nnatt
body. From each scout aircraft will be
launched to spread fan-wise over tht
sea for another 100 miles or so. making
it practically certain that no enemy car
be within 400 or 500 miles of the main
fleet without his movements having beer
observed.
Bids on Submarines.
Bids were also opened for twenty
seven coast type submarines. The sub
marines are substantially the same as
the O-boats now under construction
and are designed for coast and harbor
defense. The department Is expert
menting in larger boats. ranging from
500 up to 100 tons displacement for
service with the fleet. The big sub
l. av~k - ~