The Washington herald., 1916-08-13
SHIPYARDS ON RIVER CLYDE
WORKING ON WAR VESSEL S

today or tonight. An empty ship on the
Clyde was something did not see.
I'VE figure that the shipbuilding pro-
duction OF the Clyde today is slightly
greater than the maximum possible turn
out OF all the yards of the German en-
pire," I was told by a member OF the
John Brown firm. And in saying that,
he added, II am making liberal allow
ance for wartime acceleration over the
normal output in Germany"
Many Ships Being Built.
Keeping this statement in mind, some
conception of the size of the new British
navy, which is being silently created.
may be formed when 1t is remembered
that the Clyde. though the largest manu-
factory of ships in Great Britain, is by
no means the only one. On the river
Tyne, on the Humber and the Mersey.
and at Belfast and in the Tees, Hartle-
pool and Wear district ships are feverish-
ly building, as we'll as in four great
government dock yards. In 1914. the Clyde
produced one one-quarter of the total
tonnage built in the country. 1t may be
Inferred. therefore, that the British are
turning out at least four times as many
ships as the Germans possibly can make,
and there are good reasons why the pro-
portion is probably very much greater
than that
Our trip down the river was interrupted
at several points, and. climbing ashore
from the tugboat. l was shown at close
range some Of the most interesting types
of ships. types that were unknown be-
fore the war. For instance. a great ship
of design most peculiar, torpedo proof
and mine proof She can be struck by
torpedoes and mines. but when they go
of they cannot hurt her. She-but an
other word about her and the censor
would be on my head.
Breatbless with admiration. I walked
round and round a ship which is so fast
that she can sail rings around anything
of her approximate class in the German
navy, or in any other-so powerful she
can blow out OF the water the mightiest
battleship in the service of Britain's
enemy. Eighteen months ago, that ship
was not even designed-at least not de-
signed in anything like the shape she
appears today. When she will be in serv-
Ice do not know, but she looks about
ready for business ! may be permitted
to quote the remark Of one of the build
ers OF this powerful leviathan. She will
he with the fleet" ne said. less than
seventeen months after the nrst plates
were laid
Fast ships Designed.
There are other ships building on the
Clyde faster than the fastest battle
cruiser. mightier than the strongest Ger
man super-Dreadnought There are
ships which saw which are faster and
stronger than the one just mentioned
The most secret details concerning these
ships, such as their actual maximum
speed. are unknown in the highest naval
circles excepting in that particular most
tiny circle to which such things pertain
in the ordinary course Of business.
The Briton has a reputation for con-
servation, but when he takes to the
water he forgets this and becomes the
most daring of innovators: to illustrate
which fact, I may mention a great pile
Of rusting junk in a certain shipyard.
What on earth Is that" l asked. "Oh, -
replied my guide. those were the
engines of the. We got 'em inside her,
then they made some improvements in
the design to make them bit better.
so we yanked these out and put in new