Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-03-15
Companies Are to Take Jobs
for Which Plants Are Best
Fitted, Regardless of Bids
Made for Work.
BATTLE CRUISERS IN
IMMEDIATE DEMAND
Big 42,000-ton BatlIeships
Must Wait on Craft Which
Can Be Constructed in
Much Shorter Time.


Washington, March 1.-THE navy
department is preparing to assign to
American ship builders such portions
of the great building program author
lied by congress as each plant is best
fitted to handle. Bids for six scout
cruisers received today were within
the limit of cost fixed by congress,
but no awards will be made until the
survey of the entire ship building in
dustry has been completed.
Work to Be ApoOr'tioned.
Representatives of all major ship
building companies will confer again
tomorrow with Secretary Daniels. Full
information as to the present ca
pacity and possible extensions Of each
plant now has been obtained On the
basis of this data. a plan for dis
tributing among the plants the eight
capital ships, six scout cruisers thir-
ty-eight submarines and fifteen or
more destroyers will be mapped out
and each builder be called upon to un-
dertake without delay his share of the
work.
Cramp Company Bid.
The low bidder for scout cruisers
today was the Cramp company of
Philadelphia. The firm offered to con-
struct two scouts, but pointed out that
1t could not undertake also the con-
struction of a battle cruiser at the
same time. 1t was indicated at the
department that because OF the neces-
sity of getting the five cruisers on the
ways in the shortest possible time, it
might be necessary to assign one to
hn MN llnt lnnx ttnaR h.
to other companies not equipped for
larger work.
Right of Way for L. S.
Assurances have been received from
steel and other material makers that
navy orders will be given the right of
way. The chief difficulty is in OBJ
tanning engines for all types of navy
craft, including the new coast patrol
boats soon to be ordered in consid-
cradle numbers. A plan for the CO.
ordination of the engine building ca
pacity of the country may be neces-
sary.
The department has sought infor-
nation from the Electric Boat and
Lake Torpedo Boat companies, the
two concerns building navy subma-
rines. as to the number Of boats each
could complete within six months, Re-
plies have not yet been received Con-
gress provided that the thirty-eight
new boats should be of the S00-ton
type. and the departments present
specifications call for increased speed
and other changes from the three
boats Of the same size already ordered
In the interests of speedy construc-
tion, however, the new plans may be
abandoned and last years boats be
duplicated.
Monster ships TO Wait.
Plans for the three 42.0o0-ton bat
tleships are not vet roadv for distribu-
tion to builders. 1t is indicated that at
tention is to be turned to other parts of
the building program for the present as
the battleships, in any event, will re-
quire a long time to construct.
More than fifteen destroyers prob
ably will he ordered Mt once. Con-
gress provided specifically for this
number, but granted additional au-
thority under its emergency appropri-
alton clause for the construction Of
small craft.