Evening star., 1917-09-15
PLEDGE Of LOYALTY
BY BRITISH WORKER
Makes Conspicuous the Pur-
pose of Labor to "DeIiver
Ships" for Defeating Subs.
MANY READY FOR SERVICE

GLASGOW. August so (maiD.-on the
hull of big ship being built in one OF
the many yards that line the river
banks of Scotland and northwest Eng
land a workman has written with chalk
in hold letters six feet high five words
that EXPRESS the determination OF BRIT
ish shipbuilders to do their bit 70
ward defeating the German SUD
marines. The five words are 'hese'
We will deliver the ships
staff correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press has just completed a TRIP
through the principal yards oi 'ne
rivers Tees. Tyne, Wear and Clyde as
admiralty The purpose of the Jour
ney was to permit the gathering OF IN
formation regarding Great Britains e1-
forts which could be transmitted 10
the people of the United STATES
Scores Already Delivered.
Great Britain not only. will deliver
now-dozens Of them. scores of them,
even hundreds of them. or the four
principal shipbuilding rivers of the
country every available foot or ad-
Completed over it. Nearby engine
works are truning out motive
power for the vessels at a tremendous
rate Ship builders OF various sorts
working at top speed to beat the Ger
mans.
The rivers are overhung with smoke
blast furnaces are glowing every
where. streaks OF red go back ana 1or-
ward in the rolling mills, and through
II ALI on these busy rivers there is a
roar of automatic riveters. the ciash
of sledges on steel plates ana tne
lthrobbing of ponderouS macnlnes thal
punch holes in plates an men thick, e
J dPafenlnR.
great is this noise at many places on
the banks of the Clyde that TO talk 1t
| is necessary to place mouth to ear
Rushing Construction Work.
| lust now the builders of ships are
rushing through work on countless de-
stroyers cruisers. other naval ships
that must remain for the present as
| mysteries They. too. are working at
a tremendous rate completing mer-
chant ships, Of which there appear to
he hundreds Some are large and some
ara small, Some are being built for
priyate owners some for the govern
ment. Especially fast work is being
done on the merchant ships, as the
government and the builders are anx-
ious to increase British tonnage by
building standard vessels, of which
| many are even now under construc-
tion, many having been launched.
| These standard ships. builders agree.
Will greatly eIlidTSe tHe output VI toi
mage In the first place, 1t was pointed
out. construction has been simplihed,
all parts of hulls. engines, everything
are standard and may be used where
first needed. Heretofore, for instance,
thirty-hve sizes Of steel sections were
used in the construction OF ordinary
ships The Standardization process had
reduced this number to eight. So far
all the standards, as they are called.
have been named after flowers. the word
war preceding the name of the flower.
such as war rose" war thistle, war
lpoppy," but for the name 1t would be
Impossible to tell that they are stand
ards. They look just like the ordinary
cargo-carrying vessels, not so much
lsuperstructure and wide decks upon
which a heavy load may be carried.
Have Powerful Engines.
| Their engines are powerful enough
to drive them through the seas at a
rate slightly over that of the ordinary
cargo carrier. And they all will be
well armed when they set out to bring
materials and supplies to the British
Isles from foreign countries.
1t is quite possible that within the
next few months every port in the
United States will have seen one OF
them already are in the water ano
making ready to perform the duties
| that have been cut out for them.
| The Germans during the early days
of the war tried their best to destroy
the yards of the Tees and the Tyne
mass of roaring machinery there is g
big brass plate. which was placed there
by the company in honor of more thar