The sun., 1916-11-23

have all the work they can attend a.
extra skilled labor is Difficult, ,o MI.
and material almost impossible IN oA
tain. except after months and mont.
Of uncertain delays. Being patriotic nv
doubtless too realizing that the ~.
cannot last always and that the Co,'
eminent Is in really dire straits. th.,
have sent In their bids. We see fro.
these that a third Of a decade nm
have passed before any Of the BATH.
ships can be finished. Even ami.
marines. which n firm in this conn.
try has built for a foreign Govern.
ment In fve months, are not to n
delivered inside Of two years.
The Deutschland was bull, n. IA
Germania krupp works In German
In i've months. IIatlleships ana
battle cruisers are building in En-.
land and Germany in about one ~,
This Is common knowledge.
Does II not seem evident that sftr
all the fuss and trouble "preparsa.
ness" Ia likely to become a blow IN
the air." unless We can discover som.
way Of overcoming the congestsd
state Of our Industrial situation? n
Will not help matters to build shin
at navy yards: skilled workmen h
this country are limited and upon
their number must depend the rapid.
ity Of ship construction ground for
slips to build ships. machines and
other material are purely secondary
and their consideration has only N,
effect OF clouding the issue and max.
ing the people see a. through a class
darkly. BY building in navy ward,
we do not get more skilled men. unless
perchance the Government can offer
better inducements and draw men
away from the private %shipyards, and
that must merely slow down Govern.
ment work at the private yards while
speeding 1t up at the navy yards, Z
borrowing from Peter 10 pay Pau,
II those nations at war are hui.dinf
ships In one-third the tim" possible
for US. then their programmes. II equal
to ours. will he actually three times
as large. Germany. II she Is laying
down eight ships a year. viii have n
tibItS ySutS NWelItN " INV NNltr,
while in that time we shall have
added only eight.
Advocates OF preparedness must no,
lay down their arms; their serve
has but begun. II Is their further
duty to find out how the building o.
our w%arships Of all types can b.
FASTENED. II more money is needed,
CnnrraSc vvnttSN ,,t,Ea a. llrt,,v ,1. sl,.
session. The Governments hand mus
be forced.
II the subject were investigated BY
a patriotic body Of practical buh.
ness men. not politicians NJ either
party. say the Advisory Council With
others added. who would examine
infinitely Government methods. with
spections and divided and irresponsible
responsibility. and also hear the cons
plants Of the contractors who have
In many cases lost more money h,
Government contracts than they hav
made. then possibly some methd
might be devised tn safeguard bc,t
Government interests and those q
WV WV N''F ~ ~ NV "'iA stiN'
speed up our warshlp constructs.
which Is the true end itself. such a
body Of practical business men would
have their eyes astonishingly opened
to the archaic and time losing basi.
ness methods of the bureaus u h.
Navy Department. and may then CON-
prehend why in spite of hayin. spent
nearly half AZ much again as Germany
on our navy, We yet have only hall
the number of ships to protect the ma.
ton from the invasion Of Our shore.
Let us have the investigation, and tie
sooner the better for the country
Searching investigation and p.'iles
exposure Is necessary to- correc, a
fault of long standing and on" iei.
ously concealed from the public by.
every art known to the political Office
holder and b%ureaucrat.