Evening star., 1916-07-30
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

!, So long as American shiryards con
2. tinue to build each ship by a plan ant
| set Of dimensions Of its
| Standardiz;no own, in the opinion OF
Ship Work. commeree. Cor ~ the % dream
of American dominance in shipbuildine
cannot be realized The needed change
the governments commercial experts
believe, is the standardization Of parts
the procedure which has been the CHIEF
factor in the tremendous success and
prosperity attained by this country ir
the manufacture of automobiles, bicy-
cles, clocks. watches, shoes. clothing
arms machine tools and almost every
| tion.
The Department Of Commerce recent.
! ily secured the services of a practicine
! marine engineer to report on the possi-
bilities of ship Standardization, and the
conclusion was reached that for cargo
, carrying vessels especially the plan is
not only practicable. but it's adoption is
i imperative If this country is to take its
rightful place in the world as a builder
Of what President Wilson has called
"shuttles Of industry" It is pointed
out that the United States has a great
advantage over competing countries In
the quantity and quality of it's iron ore
and to great extent in it's facilities for
turning this raw material into steel and
iron. All that is needed. it is declared
in order that the country NAV take
great strides forward in the ship build
ing Industry is for owners of steel
plants. ship owners and ship builders tc
realize that the time has passed when
it was profitable to make each cargo
carrier a law unto itself
In order that the ship building indus
try shall be put on Enthusiastically
American basis of parts Standardization.
commercial and engineering specialists
advocate the getting together Of ali
parties concerned for agreement on a
| schedule of ship sizes and shapes
These problems, it is declared, should
frst be solved by careful experiments
with models In tanks. The advocates OF
i standardizatfon would then have a COM
mfttee map out a series of standard
dimensions for ships Of capacities OF
from 900 to 10000 or more tons.
At the same time, it is suggested.
the improved type of construction, with
double bottoms, which is coming into
use, should be adopted. While little, il
any, more expensive than the single
bottom type with lost space in the
hold, the double-bottom type, engineers
say. makes the ship much safer and
greatly reduces marine insurance rates.
In connection with the double bottom
ships. the use of liquid fuels and even
internal combustion engines Is advo-
Gated. When liquid fuels are used 1t
is pointed out, they can be stored in
the space between tho double bottoms.
thus utilizing otherwise wasted space,
and also serving as ballast. The space
may also be utilized for water ballast.
old-style construction called for very
.ohg steel floor and side frames. made
TO order. which 1t was necessary in
many cases to finish shaping at the
shipyard. With the double bottom
type of construction and standardized
uon the frames and plates all can be
made short enough for Transportation
completely at inland steel mills. II is
also pointed out that the new stand
ardized construction would operate to
rehabilitate many of the now obso-
iete wooden shipyard plants. since the
principal requirement would be faciIi-
ties for assembling the parts shipned
from the steel mills. and for launching
the COMPLETED hull. There are many
of these abandoned shipvards according
to the Department of Commerce Iocate
el along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
and on the shores Of our coast bays and
estuarfesa at places where labor Of an
excellent character would be available
in abundance.
With the construction of the exclusive
Ireight-carrying ships once standard
ized and the industry well advanced
the shipyards gradually would become
more and more expert. it is agreed in
the construction of all types of ships
Included in a general merchant marine
"A condition which 1t is believed would
without doubt soon make this country
the foremost ship building nation. No
time could well be more favorable than
inc present, Commerce Department of
hcfals feel, for the taking of stems to
make possible the turning out Of stand
ardized merchant ships in great mum
hers Thousands of vessels have been
sent TO the bottom by naval operators
and as soon as the great European va
is over the cryinc need will be for mer-
chant ships. With construction cheap
"ned and greatly facilitated the in
dusfrfes Of the TniteF States. Il is con-
tended. should Immediately take up the
task of filling the worlds unparaIleled
shipping needs