South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-21
America is Now
Leading World in
Building of Ships

rine has turned at last 10 the dawn
Of restoration. Here are some OF
the significant and infalhble signs:
Under the American ship registry
act OF 1914. which removed the re-
striction as 10 the country OF a
ships construction, there have been
added 10 American registry in over
seas commerce 1s4 vessels of 622.-
OIL gross tons. which now carry
American commerce under the
American flag.
On July /. 1915. American regis
try of ocean merchantmen covered.
in round numbers, 100000 vessel
tons. as compared with $4,000 on
the same date in 1912-an increase
Of 125 per cent in four years.
Tonnage Now Building.
on July 1, moreover there were
building in American shipyards steel
merchantmen OF 100000 tons, as
compared with 271.OOO tons on
the same date in 1912. In this case.
the increase is over $50 per cent.
Prophecies of timid republicans.
tEat free American registry would
injure American shipyards, are
blown 10 the winds.
AS against 100000 steel tonnage
under construction in American
yards on July 1, the record con-
struction of Germany was 100000 in
1914: and while the United Kingdom
has recorded a greater tonnage, its
tons.
The United States in 1915 stands,
for the first time in its history, as
the foremost shipbuilding country in
the world.
Will Retain Position.
There are reasons why America
will retain this position. First, the
United States is the greater pro-
Queer of steel in the world-manu-
featuring more than he United
Kingdom and Germany combined
and the price of American ship
plates is lower than in Great Brit
ain, our chief competitor. Second.
steer shipbuilding is. closely analog-
Gus to two industries in which
Americans have easily stood at the
forefront in years, namely. steel
bridge building and locomotive con-
struction. We are now building steel
ships for all corners, just as former
ly we have built bridges and loco
motives for the world.
Record of Ports and Cargoes.
The above facts may be verified
s,I DO Of he nj
States commissioner of navigation.
We have now TO see how the story
of the ports and cargoes. as con-
tanned in the commerce statistics OF
the foreign trade division of the
United States department of COM
merce. tallies with the record of
navigation registry and the ship
yards
From 1901 to 1912. under repub-
lican navigation and tariff laws, only
six per cent TO eight per cent Of
the domestic exports Of the United
States was carried in American
vessels.
For the fiscal year ending June
80. 1916. this percentage is increased
to IS per cent-a gain of IS per cent
to 100 per cent.
In 1912, American imports car
ried in American vessels amounted
TO II per cent OF the total. For the
fiscal year ending June so. 1918.
this percentage rises to % per cent
or Just double the 1912 record.
Total American vessel tonnage en-
taripr our DortS apUaCal in forafUn
trade during the fiscal year just
closed reaches 100000, against
11.E57.0O0 four years ago. The YES
sci tonnage increase is therefore so
per cent, while the cargo increase
of these vessels is 100 per cent,
which indicates that under the pres
ent commercial prosperity and
greater freedom from restrictive
tariff and navigation laws, the ves-
sells are getting heavier cargoes.
Government shipping Act.
The passage of the shipping act.
which places S50,0O0.OOO under a
federal board OF shipping experts
for development of a merchant ma
rine through cooperation with pri-
vate shipping interests. is the key
stone to the arch which insures sta
bility to the entire shipping organ
ization of the country. 1t means for
our shipping interests that which
the federal reserve act means for
banking. the interstate commerce
commission for rail transportation.
the commerce department for the
foreign trade. and the federal trade
commission for industrial organiza-
ton. II places the government be-
hind American shipping for a cam
paign OF mobiliEed efficiency, and
with expert supervision and a fed
eral appropriation that will deliver
the goods.