The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-18
SAlPYARD READY FOR
GOVERNMENT WORK
Newport News ship Plant Ready to
Devote All Energies to Naval
Work if Necessary.

Newport News-Should an ener-
gency arise, the Newport News ship
yard will be entirely at the disposal
of the government according to
Homer l. Ferguson. president and
general manager Of the concern.
The yard has agreed to build two
additional battle cruisers, or their
equivalent. in addition TO the three
hattleships already contracted for,
Mr, Ferguson says that one or more
shtpways Will be constructed and the
yard operated night and day by WORK
ing shifts OF twelve hours each. Mr..
Ferguson now is waiting for PreSl-
dent Wilson to declare an emergency,
made possible under the naval appro-
priation bill If such an emergency
is declared every effort will be made
to establish worlds records in the
construction OF battleships.
The ward is the largest In Amer
lea, and one OF the largest in the
world For the past fourteen months
IL has been building one merchant
ship a month. No contracts for mer-
chant work have been made during
the past several months. however, as
the officials of the yard want TO be
able 10 devote their entire energies TO
government work should the occasion
arise
The policy Of turning down mer-
chant work for government work
means a heavy loss to the ward. as
the profit on merchant work is al
most double the profit on government
work. The government allows only 0
per cent profit. while the proht on
merchant work ranges between 15 and
25 per cent.
II the yard gets the work II has
agreed to take In the event that the
president declares an emergency, i'm
provements costing approximately
81 100000 will be made. Plans for
these improvements, which include
new shipways, new shops and addi-
tional machinery and other equip
ment, already have been drawn.
The battleship Mississippi, building
here. Is about So per cent complete
Work on the two battlesh ps which
were recently secured by the yard will
he begun In the near future. At pres
ent the yard can only have its en-
pioyes work eight hours day on gov
eminent work, but should an emer-
gencv arise the men can work as much
IS twelve hours a day. receiving time
and a half for overtime. President
Ferguson states.
Just how fast the yard could turn
out hattleships If the United States
were to he embroiIed In war Is not
known. Officials OF The yard decline
to give estimates, but say that the
world would be shown something new
in shipbuiiding speed.
The yard is adequately protected
by Fort Monroe and the Norfolk navy
yard and probably would be made
the government headquarters for the
construction of government ships II
war was declared. This, however, is
merely a conjecture on the part OF
people in touch with the situation.
The United States realizes. that it's
first line of defense--the navy--is in
adequate On the extreme. and the naval
appropriation bill gives the president
power to commander all shipyards and
concerns furnishing and transporting
materials used in the construction of
ships should he deem such action ad-
visable. Mr.. Ferguson says, however,
that such action will not he neces-
sary. certainly not with his yard, as
he and other shipbuilders and steel
plants arc ready to corporate with
the government to the fullest extent.
The Carnegie Steel company now is
turning out tons of steel each day for
the government and other plants will
ment to do So.
The president of the Newport
News yards states that merchant
work wiz not be neglected alto
gether by this yard or any other
yard, as merchant ships are as neces-
sary In time of war as the fighting
ships. The American merchant ma
rine. once the pride OF the country
and famed the world over. Is neg
ligihle now as compared with the de-
mands that would he made upon 1t
were the country embroiled in real
war. war on which its future de-
pended.--Manufactu Record