The Washington herald., 1917-02-09
27,l82 VESSELS
READY FOR war
IF CLASH COMES
Ships Can Be Converted Into
Fighting Craft at Mo-
ment's Notice.
CARRY 1O,527,632 TONS
Congress to Empower. President to
Take Over Vessels Whenever
Necessary.

More than 100000 tons of American
shipping will be available for the use of
the government In the event of a war,
under plans completed by the Navy De-
partment tonight.
A survey of the merchant shipping
afioat and building. made for the Navy
Department by the Bureau of Navigation
Of the Department OF Commerce from
the files of the bureau. includes every ship
now under American ownership. or un-
der construction in American yards The
bureaus figures show that a total of
1856 vessels, Of an aggregate tonnage
OF l0521,sS2 are now either built or build
ing under American Jurisdiction.
careful report on the condition, own
ership and location of all these vessels
has been compiled by the Navy Depart
ment and the Department of Commerce.
1t will be used in determining the order
in which vessels will be taken over. and
the uses to which they will be put In the
event of the German situation developing
into an actual physical clash.
Congress to Give Power.
Administration leaders In Congress to-
night prepared to rush legislation, al
ready before both branches OF Congress
providing that the President "in time of
war or proclaimed national emergency"
may commander this vast shipping
tonnage.
Meantime the machinery for taking over
private craft of all kinds in time of
emergency was perfected by the Navy
Department. Under the plans OF the De-
partment the passage of the legislation
by Congress would find the department
ready to act at once.
The official reports show that in the
whole list of ships availa BILE for war uses
27,1S2 vessels. practically all OF steel and
wooden construction and under steam
power, would be ready for immediate
service. Many OF these are already in
ocean traffic and could be quickly con-
verted for war use.
Among these are many new ships OF
the number now in active trade 73s, with
2. gross tonnage OF 354,75o we're built and
officially numbered in the seven months
prior to February l.
Many Not Yet Launched.
In addition to these, American ship
yards are jammed to capacity, and hun
dreds more will be launched within the
next two or three months. Work is being
rushed with all possible haste on 564 ships
now being built in yards Vessels now
unuer construction aggregate l,O3, "a
gross tons, according to the builders re-
turns just submitted. The larger percen-
tage OF this tonnage is in steel ships.
Exact figures OF vessels now under con-
s-ruction are 4O3 steel ships with Lag. .6o1
gross tons and 161 wooden ships with
z0T,623 gross tons. Most of these are to
be launched within few months, many
of them during February and March.
In the list of new ships, there were
maEy scheduled to be launched in 1918,
but private shipyard owners have been
told to speed up the work II possible.
The present geographical distribution of
available shipping is heaviest in the ports
and harbOrs of the Great Lakes and the
and Gulf coasts.
Distribution of 6,s2i steam vessels is as
follows: Atlantic and gulf coasts S,S5:
northern lakes 1.560; Pacific coast l,02-
western rivers SOS; Porto Rico 10; Hawaii
p More than three-fourths Of the 9.s27
gas vessels are on the Atlantic and Pa
cific coasts. Most OF the 4,ess sailing
craft are at points on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts.