Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-08-04
SHIPPING BOARD HAS
TAKEN OVERALL Ships
All Above $500 Tons, CTS In
All Taken Possession Of
In Yards

Washington, Aug. A. The shipping
board has telegraphed orders to over a
score IF the country's largest ship
yards requisitioning all ships Of $500
dead weight tonnage or more now
building. Management of the yards
will be In the hands. of the present
owners, but under government direc-
ton.
About .675 ships are affected by the
governments order. Their aggregate
tonnage is more than 100000. In
cluded are many English, Norwegian
and other vessels on foreign account
The shipyards and owners of the yes
sells will receive compensation for the
construction work on them so far. The
government will take over the con-
tracts and expedite completion of the
ships in order to make room for more
emergency vessels to overcome sub
marine losses.
Speed will be accomplished by ad-
dition Of overtime labor, additional
shifts AMI elimination of unnecessary
luxuries Of construction and equip
ment. The governments Is ready access
to steel and other shipping materials
makes the problem simple as compared
with the drawbacks the private build
ers faced, it is said.
Controls Everything.
The government henceforth will rule
on every large ship contract for private
account, even for repairs. BY the re-
QUESTIONING orders the yards came yir.
tually under government control and
the Governments IS entire shipbuilding
industry is now in the governments 3
hands.
In short time scores Of new ships
will be added to Americas merchant
marine by the requisitioning order
Some Of the ships seized are more than
sixty per cent finished.
The communicating program viii
cost upwards Of $l25,000,000. A large
sum has also been reserved by the
shipping board for requisitioning com
pleted ships now sailing under the
American flag. This will be done
later. If more funds are needed before
the program is finished II will be taken
from the additional $500 100000 appro'
priation congress is confidently ex-
pected to vote the shipping board.
The reouisitioning order sent to
twenty-tour yards over the signature
of Admiral Capps, general manager OF
the United States shipping board
Emergency Fleet Corporation, said:
To Rush Completion.
GAN power driven cargo carrying
and passenger ships above $500 tons
dead weight capacity, under construe'
tion in your yard and certain mater,
/ ials, machinery, equipment outfit and
commitments for for materials, ma
ehinery, equipment and outfit neees
sary for their completion, are hereby
reauisitioned. by the United States.
6On behalf of the United States
YOU are hereby required to complete
the construction of said requisitioned
ships under construction and will pro
secute such work with all practicable
dispatch
stYou will furnish Immediately gen.
eral plans and detail specifications OF
the ships requisitioned and copies oi
contracts and ali supplemental agree
ments In relation thereto and full par
tieulars as TO owner, date Of compile
tion. payments made to date amounts
still due and other information neees
sary to fair and just determination
600 900 tons have been sunk. England
estimate is G00,000 tons.
1t is on the submarine menace tha
the demoeracies of the world will frs
concentrate. -s71-