Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-13
CAMPAIGN TO BREAK DOWN
- GERMAN SUBMARINE BLOCK AIDE

L<- Try Associated Frcs-.J
ys+wASHlNGTON. April ia CAM
Z Saign Of colossal proportions TO break
I clown the German submarine blockade
and keep the entente plCntifully sup
piled with food clothing and munitions
{ has been determined upon by President
Wilson and his advisers as Americas
first physical stroke against her enemy.
Unable now To send an army into the
trenches. the President believes the
United States can do an even greater
/ Service in the common cause against
( Germany by providing n great armada
{ of merchantmen to invalidate the un-
dcrsca campaign about which have
! been rallied the fading hopes OF Frus-
rsian conquest.
SF'or weeks officials have been ut work
"a such plan. hut not until to-day
was il revealed on how great a scale
the task had been projected. or how
great Importance was attached To il in
,ihe administrations general war pro-
Gram. Virtually every detail now has
J pscn completed. and by fall the cam
! ,paisn itself will be i'll full swing.
MANY officials believe 1t may attain
! >snprcmacy over the submarine. which
: will prove the DECISIVE victory of the
J great war.
J :. Quickly built. light wooden ships of
1000 tons and upward arc 10 make
alp the first fleet of merchantmen. and
10 insure maximum construction. the
&SfppinS board has enlisted the coun-
strys entire shipbuildins facilities. now
the greatest in the world. Upwards of
! 900 private plants will help, giving the
boards orders precedence over every
Other class Of work except tho most
Surgent naval construction. For the
first year production is expected to
ShiDS "A
Already lumber interests have given
assurances Of an adequate supply at
Srcasonablc prices. Engine manufnc-
1turcrs have pledged their cooperation.
too, and all the necessary machinery
ssSss.can be assembled as fast as they can
S..sl,e turned out at the yards. At more
W than ono plan, new ways already arc
fi{ under construction.
::aQUESTIoN OF LABOR
49, CAUSING CONCERN
x, Thc question Of labor. however is
~ giving officials some concern. and
~, call may be issued appealing for pa
N ttriotic cooperation by laborers TO in
III, sure that tho campaign against the
~ submarine begin ut the earliest pos
liz sble moment. The shipping board csti-
IS, mates that 100. 600 men Will he needed
jssto work all the plants to capacity and
-, TO complete the building program in
}ft the time determined on. This is nearly
tsitcn times the number OF laborers now
-, employed in building merchant craft
Iiii Volunteers, ii is pointed out need
HE not be experienced in shipbuilding, MS
~. com parativcly little expert labor will
itt he required Within few days the
~. board will establish a labor bureau to
isf enlist such volunteers. The American
LIED erat ton of Labor already Is CO.
ssss- operating, and motion picture com
panies arc planning to display pictures
of shipbuildinE operations part Of
tho campo ign.
MaJor-GcncraI George W Cocktails.
builder OF the Panama Canal. has been
selected TO supervise the construction
program, which is expected to involve
within the next year total tonnage OF
100000 tons. or more than is
building in all tho shipyards of tho
world
Built for the most part of pine and
fir. the ships VIII range from 1000
TO $500 tons Most of them probably
will be equipped with burning en-
gnes. and all viii carry wireless ana
be armed. The engines will be stan
dard.zed AS far as possible. 80 that
damaged parts may he replaced II
necessary. IN average cost OF about
sao0 600 per .;shp is counted on Zach
will carry.a crew '5f about thirty men.
FIRST TO BE READY
IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS
1.-THE first OF the vessels are TO be
ITady in about six months. and during
the year following tho number ahoat
h expected to pass 900. Such num-
Der, officials believe, constantly will
br augmented In the months that fol-
,}cw to render 1t absolutely Impossible
for Germany 10 maintain her blockade
with any degree Of effectiveness
I'm their calculations. the President
Gnd the shipping board have had the
Gdvice Of the allied naval authorities
and have computed carefully the ability
of German C-boats TO cope with large
.Jitlmbers of mercha They are
5~ionvinced that by building ships OF
s:anly 2,oo0 or 5000 tons. and forcing
.sCermany 10 pay with torpedo for
each one sent to the bottom. the United
states can exhaust the resources OF the
submar inc fleet for operating far from
its bases. The German resources can
-bc still further dissipatcd by routing
sahe American merchantmen through
chundreds OF ocean lanes 10 scores of
European ports.
If the blockade-runnlnS campaisn
c3roes not actually end the war by de-
~stroyinS Gernanys faith in the C-boat
ftp which her reliance was transferred
otter hope Of decisive victory on land
apparently had been abandoned the
administration is confident H. at least
,yill thwart ihe German threat Of .orc.
ing an early peace on the allie. through
a starvation blockade