The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-20
MEET ALL NEEDS
Shipping Board Determined To
Provide Required Bottoms.
Hurley viii Tell Senate Com
mittee of His Work.

Washington. Dec. 2O-Facing al
lied demands for between six million
and eight million tons of shipping in
1918, the United States shipping board
is hard pressed to fill the order. This
was officially admitted today by mem
bers of the shipping board prelimi-
nary to appearing before the senate
committee tomorrow morning, open
ing an inquiry into ship construction
work.
But we've got to do it and will"
Chairman Hurley declared
Red tape and necessity for frequent
organizations of the board and it's
sub-division. the emergency fleet cor
poration, are responsible for a part of
the delay.
A serious condition" in shipbuild-
ing yards also exists OF the old
yards, seventy per cent are now being
used by the navy department. In the
new yards established for emergency
building, there is the tremendous work
of organizing labor to carry on the
work.
Nevertheless, Hurley is prepared to
go to the senate committee grill to-
morrow afternoon-the first witness
with a story of much accomplished
under trying conditions and a promise
of big tonnage delivery at the end
OF 1918.
West Is Doing Its Part
Today the shipping board received
tie, Wash, stating that their yards
would certainly produce the million
tons promised for next year. Reports
from west coast yards alone show that
three million tons will be built.
Return of cambridge Colby. repre-
senting the shipping board on the
American commission to Paris, has in
creased the figures the allies have
placed on what America must con-
tribute to the shipping cause in 1918
Increasing submarine successes by
the German U-boats lead officials here
TO state eight million tons must be
provided by this country.
Hurley will tell the senate commit
tee that day and night shifts are being
organized in the shipyards.
Hurley is now in complete charge
of the shipbuilding work-a change
from the regime under Admiral Caps
when Caps was virtually in control
of building and Hurley the contracts.
This divided responsibility, it is
claimed, led to confusion and delay,
which Hurley now believes will be
eliminated by placing all under
single head
our story to the committee tomor-
row will be a frank and a very inter
esting one to the country" Hurley
promised today.
Others to Testify.
Senator Fletcher. in charge of the
inquiry announced today that Hurley
will take the stand Friday afternoon
and will be followed by other mem
bers of the shipping board,
Senator Fletcher asked the shipping
board to furnish him copies of all con-
tracts let for wooden and sCeel ships.
with complete data on the number of
ships completed, those under construc-
tton and those being built for private
owners.
While Hurley is determined on
achieving al fE8f the six million tom
mark BY 1913 some critics of the
shipping board declared he will fall
far short.
Meanwhile the first rivet was driv
en- today in the keel of the first ship
ut the new fabricated steel ship yard
in Newark, n. .. This keel will be
followed by two Others this month.
The ultimate program for this yard is
150 ships of five Thousand tons each.
Fifteen thousand workers will be em-
sYDloNad