New-York tribune., 1917-12-25
Figure May Be Exceeded
When All Yards Are on
Two Shifts
Ford Has Plan
To Speed Work
Manufacturer Would Turn
Out Ships on the Endless
Chain System
tStGf Correspondence

WASHINGTON. Dec. 24.-The Ship
ping Board plans TO turn out Of Amer
ican yards 100000 tons Of steel and
wooden bottoms during 1918. While
this figure has not been announced ofii-
cially, il can be stated confidently
that this is the minimum tonnage eX-
pected. The 100000 figure is calcu-
lated on the basis Of one shift day.
with overtime. 1t is anticipated that
when all yards are speeded up 20 the
two shifts plus four hours overtime, as
planned by General Manager Piez OF
the Fleet Corporation, the five million
figure will be exceeded.
An analysis Of the shipping statis-
tics supplied to the Senate Commerce
Committee by Admiral Bowles, assist
ant manager Of the Fleet Corporation
disclosed that on December ! the
emergency ship programme calling for
the construction Of s,246,30s tons was
1s.2 per cent completed.
Figures laid before the Senate Com
mittee show that progress on the total
programme is divided as follows !:
Wood and composite vessels, 43I, OF
1.55l.9OO tons. 10 per cent completed:
reouisitoned steel ships, 43l, Of $685.
COS tons. 80 per cent completed; con-
tract steel ships. 527, Of 3,63S,4OO tons
Z per cent completed.
Figures on Work.
These figures do not include progress
on new ship yards and factories IN
which many vessels will be built and
power and deck machinery manufac-
tured for the new merchant fleet.
Reports now in the possession Of the
Senate Committee show that keels
have been laid for 166 wooden hulls
out Of a total Of 379 contracted for.
OF this number l30 have ben laid down
in new yards. Fifty-one out of total
Of 72 wooden ship yards are brand
new, that is, they did not exist at the
time that the contracts were let.
Keels have been laid for - composite
ships Of wood and steel out of total
Of IS contracted for by the Fleet Cor
pOration.
The composite ship contracts have
been placed with four yards, three OF
WniC0 0Il UOL tAlNN WIN tilt NpAiNA ~ 80
were let. Work on the twelve COM
posite ships laid down is 20 per cent
completed.
Distributed in Thirty-two Yards
Contracts for steel ships have been
distributed among thirty-two yards, Of
which twenty are new establishments.
Eleven keels have been laid. The 4 per
cent progress reported on steel con-
Ftruction does not include progress on
the construction Of the new fabricatlng
yards, in which the greater part Of the
programme Will be constructed.
Up to the present four ships OF the
new Emergency Fleet programme have
been launched, two steel and two
wooden ships. Additions to this number
are expected on the Pacific Coast with
in the next few days.
Henry Ford. serving with the Ship
ring Board as manufacturing expert,
has proposed extension of the fabri-
eating programme. He has advised that
the board have built in the South a
number Of fabrcating yards in which
would be turned out steel vessels on
the endless chain system employed by
Ford in his automobile factory. Then
ships would be laid down at once in
each yard.
Mr.. Ford will go on a trip through
out the South in search of locations
and TO investigate facilities for manu-
featuring and shipping fabricated ma
teriais