New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-05
Seventy 5000 Ton Vessels
Must Be Completed in
One Year
--.-
Fleet Corporation
Places Biggest Order
Fabricating Plants To Be
Given Ample Time to
Make Good
istIr Couespondsnoel

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.-operators
Of the fabricating plants the Emer-
r.pey Fleet Corporation is building
are to be given ample opportunity to
make good on their complaints that the
extent Of their production for 1918 is
being curtailed by the failure of the
corporation to give them all the orders
they are capable of handling if given
sufficient notice.
The American international Corpora
lion. which is TO operate the immense
government fabricating yard at Hog
Island. on the Delaware River, in close
association with the American Bridge
Company (the same that one time
talked about completing ship a day
nft.r a brief period Of PREPARATION,
has Just been authorized by the Emer-
eercy Fleet Corporation TO build
seventy sOOo-ton vessels within twelve
months from the completion of the
ward. due on December /, but likely to
be delayed.
Largest Order Placed
This is the largest single order the
Fleet Corporation has placed, and in
wolves the expenditure Of close TO
uOo.OO0,O0O. The American Interna-
tional previously had a contract for
fifty 7.50O-ton vessels az s5O,000,000
The 5000 ton steamships are to be
equipped with turbine engines and TO
have a speed Of IS knots an hour, as
against 10is for the smaller vessels.
They arc to have water tube boilers, as
are all the fabrication plant ships so
far ordered. This order for large ships
az good speed will go far to allay the
fears o. those who have been appre-
hensive that the United States would
load itself I'D with q surplus of slow
small ships. but doubt is expressed of
The American Internationals ability to
come through in twelve months. There
Is no penalty for delay except loss of
bonus that may be wiped out by slow,
and. therefore, expensive building. But
between the American international, a
typical big business machine of the
first order. .he American Bridge Com
pany. he worlds premier manufact
urer os structural steel. with host of
plants. and the United States govern
rent, as represented through the Emer
geucy Fleet CORPORATION, with unlimit-
cd financial resources and almost abso-
lute authority 10 promote shipbuilding,
a coordination has been established
that should create an unprecedented
opportunity for breaking all records in
big shipbuilding.
Il is up 10 the corporation TO build
l20 ships If q deadweight TONNAGE Of
s35.0o0 during 19ls-a very respectable
mercantile fleet in itself for a second
rate nation.
Expect New Contract
Il is expected that another big con-
tract will soon be let 20 the Submarine
Boat Company. which is building and
Is 20 oDerate the government fabrica-
ton piantson Newark Rsy. This com
pany has only fifty 5.00O-ton ships as
signed 70 IL al present. but offered in
the spring 10 complete 200 such boats
BIZ the end Of 1918, II It were to re-
ceive the order at that time. Four
months have. therefore. been lost. but
it is understood that the company IS
still ready 20 undertake 70 complete
$50 ships next year.
The Slipping Board has under CON
siderstio1 the establishment Of fab
ric2tion plant on San Francisco Bay
but private industry is doing so much
there that Il may not be necessary. In
terests beaded by former President
Scott Of the famous Union Iron Works.
row one OF tho Schwab shipbuildlng
plants. are said 70 be planning a S2O'-
OOC.0Oo plant there. The proportions
Of the enterprise are go large that it
is thought that il must have very
close relation 10 the Fleet Corpora
tons plans. as at this time that cor
porstiop has become practically the
only patron Of all the shipyards Of
America, since private capital is not
Invested in building ships only to have