The Daily Missoulian., 1917-03-16
Largest Single Order for
Fighting Craft Ever Given
by Any Nation.
TO PRIVATE BUILDERS
Four Battle Cruisers and Six
Scout Cruisers Are
Ordered.


for what is believed to be the largest
single order for fighting craft ever
hy the navy department. Private
builders undertook to turn out four
great battle cruisers and six scout
cruisers. costing nearly $4,000. 900
for hulls and machinery alone, and
pledging themselves to keep 20 per cent
of their working forces on navy con-
struction.
In response to an appeal to theil
patriotism by Secretary Daniels, the
major ship builders have agreed to ac-
cept 10 per cent net profit on the bat
tie cruisers, whose cost will represent
about s76,O00.OOO of the total sum in
volved in today's contracts. A fifth
battle cruiser will be built at the Phil
adelphia navy yard so as not to strain
the limit of facilities of private estab-
lishments The builders are besieged
with offers of merchant work and are
getting as high as so per cent profit
on these jobs with more work in sight
than they can do. They have placed
their facilities at the disposal Of the
government, making it unnecessary for
the president to consider employing
authority to commander plants.
New Cruiser Types.
Both class Of cruisers ordered today
are new types of naval architecture
apI arc lacipped For Z, .paal ,f Or
knots an hour.
The scouts We're awarded on bids
submitted yesterday, prices ranging
from $5,95O,ooO to s5996,OOO and the
stipulated time of delivery from 80 to
80 months. These figures can be no
guide to the actual cost or time, how
ever, as under the emergency clause
of the naval appropriation bill con-
struction will be FASTENED to the limit,
the government footing the bill for ad-
ditional cost.
The battle cruisers, the fixed limit of
cost Of which is $l9,OOO,OOO per ship,
exclusive Of speeding up expense, were
placed as follows: Newport News
ship Building & Drydock company,
two ships; Fore River Ship Building
corporation, one ship; New York Ship
Building company, one ship.
Four of the scout cruisers will be
built on the Pacific coast. two by the
Seattle Construction company and two
hy the Union Iron Works at San Fran
cisco. The other two will be built by
William Cramp & Sons. Philadelphia
Cramps and the Union Iron Works
may be called upon also to build a
number of destroyers. In addition to
the Is destroyors authorized by the
last naval appropriation bill, the de-
rartment is planning to construct
many craft of this type under the small
boat emergency fund.
Three Dreadnaughts.
OF the authorized building program
there remains to be contracted for
three drcadnauGhts, 3S submarines, IS
dcStroyers and several auxiliary YES
sells. Bids will be opened early in
| April on these craft and at the same
time orders will be placed for more
/ than 100 coast patrol boats.
The ultimate cost to the government
of the ships ordered today will exceed
| by many millions the figures given for
| hull and machinery.
The ship builders having made fl
nancial sacrifices to meet the govern
ments needs. Secretary Daniels is
seeking similar agreements with the
contractors who supply material and
| equipment to go into the ships.
Plans for the three $4,000 ton dread
| naughts are not completed.