Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-03

American ship boom ~ on. The ship
building industry is rcviviny the glory
OF its past orders arc piling up on
the desks OF American shiphuilIcrs nm
II! some Of them have been compelled
/" cry. Hold. enough" Ana still they
come When a vessel goes down In
tn" war zone, II generally means an
other foreign order FOR an American
shphuldcr; ana every time the price
per cubic foot OF shipping space goes
up. lot OF American citizens decide
10 20 Into tn. shipping business and
order couple OF ships by the next
mail.
The Bureau NJ Navigation estimates
that AT the present time POS ships ar.
In process OF building In American
shpyards. with a total gross tonnage
or i.0'7.GS0 tons. This agurc is only
approximate. however, since many con-
cerns neglected to turn In complete re-
ports 10 the bureau, and some tur,ud
ia none at all In other words. rs
far ne can be estimated. American snip
yards ar" turning oGt ON" complete
ship for every WORKING day In the year,
and even AN occasional sunday and
holiday. Furthermore orders are Ia
for ships which cannot toe started be-
fore next August or September.
The forc!g, demand alone is an i;n-
rortant item. Nearly one thousand
vessels have been destroyed thus !ar
in tn" war. and the European bcllirer-
'uts arc turning to American sh!pyurds
To help max" up the loss. Their own
Yards are strained TO their Utmost ca
pacity building ships OF war la Eng
land the l1rg. mercantile sh!pNards are
closed ms tn" men hav. all been call
ed FOR III the Government yards. As n
result, a large number OF English mcr-
camille orders ar" now ncinr iilled In
tho United States
Orders From the Continent.
France and spain also arr patroniz-
ing American shipyards for vessels
with heavy tonnage. ON" American
irm just closed - contract for SIX vcs-
sells OF fvc thousand tons each tho
first OF which must bc finished bv Iune
al this year, and TIA" last by Arril OF
1917. Even NORWAY. Oh" OF the great
"S' shiDhuiidins nations oi tn
world. is unable TO take care 90 her
home demand aud has placed AN ordcr
FOR twenty seven vessels In this coun-
Try.
But the foreign orders whil, corn
plicat!np matters, are as nothing COM
pared To +he home demand Nm"ri-
cans are determined L. have ships and
have them quickly. u has come as n
shock To the American pcuVic to rnd
that In 1914 before the var, only ;
per cent OF our exports We're handled
hy Amcr!Can-owued ships. which seem
20 he rare articles; TO Iind IN short,
that The American merchant marine IS
largely non existent
The European War, which acted in
the nature or a spotlight on 50 many
OF our shortcomings, has illustrated
fnrcibiy the tremendous inadcuuacy OF
American shipping facilities CHINA -
q vcritahlc gold mine in trad" oppor-
iun.tics to-day. as is. Likewise. hrus-
STA: bat the American manufacturers
arc compelled 20 sit with their hanrS
folded waiting FOR ships I" carry their
commerce. The lumber industry Of the
Pacific coast. which has been so great
IL crippled for lack OF ships. Is only
one OF many instances. The only traf-
nc which is handled completely and
cxpcditiousiy on the Pacific coast rs
that of war muuiti ions TO Russia
TIL" Russian American Chamber Of
Commerce at Moscow, through it's rep
rcscntativcs in both countries. is max
in.c every effort 10 relieve this com
ncrcial strcsS.- one Russian steam
ship company, equally desirous of pro
noting trade between the two coun-
tries has come forward with an offer
Ia set aside forty cubic feet OF space
on each Of it's steamers for samples of
American goods consigned TO the Rus
sian American Chamber of Commerce.
for which it will make no charge, In
view Of the high rates existing ana
the demand FOR every aNdiidbic lhtH
Of space this IL certainly very accom-
modating.
Needed for Southern Trade.
Much has been said and written con-
corning tho unusual trade oprortuni-
ties for Americans in south America.
we nave been told how the large bank
ing houses Of the country are catab-
fishing branches there: and most OF ia
know mt least two or three young mon
who are dcvOting themselves assidu-
ouslv to the learning Of Spanish so that
the firm will send them to South Amcri-
ca Besidcs which, returned visitors
have given us whole pages OF advice
concerning the need for longer terms
| Of credit and more careful packing.
Tut not half enough has been said
| about the need for large and efficient
| organization. of ships with which TO
| carry on that trade and without which
| IL is practically impossible.
| We are still Il triile surprised and
| hcwildcrcd AT tn" scarcity OF American
| ships which we formerly pictured
| travelling in great quantities 10 all the
! seaports Of the world. But we are
| firm in our determination Ia gct them
| MS quickly az possible, SO that We will
| not he left high and dry in tho next
| crisis. Moreover. we are making those
local Congressman Of ours do some leg =
| islating'
| \ bill has been introduced into Con-
| grcss which provides for The establish
| men, Of "a United States shipping
| Board for the purpose Of encouraging,
| developing and creating u naval auxil-
larry and naval reserve aud . mcr-
| chant marine to mcct tho requirements
| OF commerce q thp l-nitcI Stutcs