New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-04
u. S. to Take Over
700 Ships Building
In Nations Yards
Step Preliminary to Com
Wandering of Ton.
mage on Seas

Washington, Aug. 3.-7Immediate CON-
Wandering Of most Of the vessels IN.
der construction in American ship.
building plants was decided on to-day
by the Shipping Board. The step Is
preliminary to the requisitioning OF
American tonnage already on the seas,
and will be taken to speed construction
so the yards may be cleared for build.
ing ships for which the government has
let contracts.
There are building in the yards Of
the country about 700 ships, totalling
more than 100000 tons, most Of them
for foreign account. Hulls and con.
tracts both will be taken over, tho
final disposition of the foreign craft
to be left to negotiations between the
United States and the governments
concerned. The completed American
ships will be retained BY the board for
operation.
Communicating Of tonnage building
was one Of the features Of the pro.
gramme for shirbuilding announced by
Major General Goethals just before his
resignation as manager Of the Fleet
Corporation. Chairman Denman's block
ing of this programme was one OF the
reasons for Mr.. Denman's removal by
the President.
Caps Opposes Contracts
General Goethals's plan for construct
| ing two great government-owned ship
yards for building fabricated steel
| ships will be taken up by the board
/ later. It is understood Rear Admiral
Caps, now manager of the Fleet Cor.
poration, is opposed to the form Of
| contracts proposed b. the general for
this work and that the whole scheme
may be abandoned. In that event the
| fabricated ships would be built in
| private yards for government account
The board probably will make 70
move toward requisitioning American
! tonnage already on the seas for several
days. Several legal bitches are 70 be
/ Strengthened out before any ships are
taken over.
The foremost experts of the Allied
| nations and Of the United States
have completed a survey of the
shipping situation, and have demon.
strated that there is enough avail.
able tonnage in the world and enough
| shipbulding capacity 10 carry the
war through easily" without any
doubt. The situation, one Of the ex'
perts said, demands a rearrangement
| of both belligerent and neutral ton
mage available for Allied uses and re
ouires great sacrifice of trade, but u
promises victory over the Central
! Powers. He continued:
"One of the problems for Americs Is
| to determine how much of her South
! American trade she can sacrifice, either
by actually cutting off her ships that
call at South American ports or By
substituting for them neutral yesse's
unsuitable for the war trade. Britain
has apportioned 100000 tons OF her
! shipping to Allied uses, and this does
! not include the amount she has taken
over for her own war service.
after the ships afoat have been Ut;
lied the shipbuilding facilities Of
! America, as we'll as OF the rest OF
/ the world. must be utilized q TIER
fullest possibilities.
No Jealousy Among Allies
"The sacrifices that have been made
and that are being made will not be
| accompanied in any instance ~
| jealousy or hard feeling if all the bel
! iigerents at war with Germany MAKE
them together. That would entirely
eliminate the most difficult problem IN
connection with this phase Of the war.
because il would leave no room tor
! tho charge that enc country was tryins
to take the trade away from another
In this connection Il developed 20.
day that the inclusion Of steel IN the
exports license system followed
warning from the steel interests 70
/ the government Of shortage OF sup.
ply and also followed an sgreemen.
/ reached with the Entente powers. Inc
embargo on the export OF steel for any
but war uses was considered yita;y
necessary by the Allies and also py
American steel concerns, the hndinss
Of the steel companies and OF 'no
Allied governments being sustained oy
an exhaustive inquiry conducted .!
this governments representatives.
1t was expected to-day that the eouni,
tries most disadvantageously atfeeteo
would be neutrals and Japan, a!tnousn
the latter country has the ASSURANCE
OF the United States that exports o.
steel needed for war purposes IN JapsH
] ha ~ 81