New Britain herald., 1917-04-12
Fleet of United Stat( Vessels to Bear Food Clothes and Mum tiOnS Across Atlant1 -
U-BOAT EXHAUSTION
 MAY EFFECT PEAC

All Shipbuilding Plants at Disposal
 Government in Effort to Outt
 Kaiser in Intention to Bring El
 land to Knees Through Hungcs
 Lack of Workmen .Administratid
 Chief Problem.
 Washington, April 12.-A campaf of colossal proportions to break dos the German submarine blockade keep the Entente plentifully supplf with food, clothing and munitions been determined upon by Presid3 Wilson and his advisers as AmericN first physical stroke against
 enemy.
 Unable now to send an army ix2 the trenches, the president beliey the United States can do an ey1 greater service in the common cad against Germany by providing gr< armada of merchantmen to invalidt the unersea campaign about whj| have been rallied the hopes of Prl1 sian conquest.
 For weeks officials have been work on such a plan but not until day was it revealed on how gf( a scale the task had been projectx Virtually every detail has now he1 completed, and by fall, the campat itself will be in full swing.
 Quickly built, light, wooden shl of 2,OO0 tons and upward are
 make up the fleet of merchantn13l and to insure maximum construct1 the shipping board has enlisted H country's entire shipbuilding fae3 ties. now the greatest in the worlds1 Upwards of a hundred privgI plants on all the coasts will help, n ing the boards orders precedcnce QtI every other class of work except 13 most urgent naval constructions. WAL under way the production is expecf, to reach an average of three shipaI day.
 Already lumber interests have glI en assurances of an adequate suppl of timber at reasonable prices. Ic1 zine manufacturers have pledG1 their cooperation and all the need sary machinery for the vessels can assembled as fast as they can turned out at the yardS. ssts
 Labor Question Puzzles.
 The question of labor. howeyertl giving officials some concern, and 7 call may be issued appealing for f triotic cooperation by labor to insu} that the campaign against the s4} marines begins at the earliest possily moment. The shipping board est mates that 15O,OOO men will be noe1 ed to work all the plants to capaciI and to complete the building progral in the time determined OH. This u tai is nearly ten times the numbers laborers now employed in buildiIl try.
 Volunteers for this class of puhsI service, it is pointed out, need not experienced in shipbuilding as cor paratively little expert labor wilI& required for the type of wooden sells to DC built. Within few 6 the board will establish a labor reau to enlist such volunteers. American Federation oe Labc. N| ready is cooperating.
 Major General George w. GoethAj has been selected to supervise tll construction program, which IS az pected to involve within the ne1 year total of three million tons, more than now is building in alIStl ship yards of the world.
 Built for the most part of pinc allo fir. the ships will range from 2,0O0 $500 tons. Most of them probab4 will be equipped with standardixel oil burning engines, and all will cal ry wireless and be armed. An avel age cost of about $3OO,0OO per, shi| is counted on by the board. iEacl will carry a crew of about thirty-hv| men. The first of the vessels are to ready in six months and during tl1 year following the number afioat expected to pass 1000.
 To Exllausc Submarines.
 In their calculations. the presided and the board have had the advice allied naval authorities and had carefully the ability of tfj German U-boats to cope with lard of merchantmen. They at| that by building ships only 1000 or 5000 tons and forcin| Germany to pay with a torpedo i'd each one sent to the bottom, tn United States soon can exhaust tn resources of the submarine fleet i'd operating far from its base.
 If the blockade running campatN3 does not actually end the war by dt| stroying Gcrmany's faith in the M boat, to which her reliance was trane ferred after hope Of decisive victoE on land apparently had been ab0 doned, the administration is con dent it. at least, will thwart the 9ez man threat of forcing an early peaNl on the Allies through starvattOl blockade. Officials are alive to th dangers to this country which migt
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