Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-03-15
Up WORK
Of PROVIDING
BIC WAR FLEET

WASHINGTON, Ma ch it-Speed-
ing up measures to enes A,,,ted
States in event of war with Va
to procure without delay a great Ire
of vessels for transportation of sup
plies to the allies were discussed here
by wooden ship builders on the Allan
tic and gulf coasts, who met at the
call of the shipping board. Yards that
produce steel tonnage already are
working to their capacity.
In the near future the board will
call in Pacific coast builders and then
the makers of power machinery will be
consulted
Theodore Brent of the shipping board
told the builders the board desired to
prepare for any emergency the cOun-
try may face and that the information
asked concerning labor and standardi-
zation was vital as a measure of pre-
paredness. The board, he declared had
no desire to go into ship building to
compete with private yards and had
no intention at the moment Of placing
orders, but felt it necessary to prepare
the way for rapid building if the occa-
sion arises
All the yards represented, it devel-
oped, could expand their development
under emergency conditions Frank
w. Sprague, chairman of the ship
building committee of the Naval Con-
sulting Board, made a statement con-
cerning the importance of cargo ships
in war time. The United States, he
said, must realize that it faces a ser
ious possibility of war with one of the
greatest military groups the world ever
has known. If such war should
come, he said the country could best
lNNr |, ,er
maximum of supplies to Europe in
the shortest possible time. For that
purpose, he said in view Of the sub
marine menace, he was convinced the
most useful fleet would be a large num-
ber of moderately sized vessels with
considerable speed and quickness of
control Construction of such ships, he
declared, would be one of the most i'm
portant duties of defense.
Great Britain is preparing to con
struct a large number of standardized
steamers to carry cargoes through the
| submarine blockade British yards en-
gaged in other work were ordered t
construct the government vessels first
The navy department is preparing Il
! assign to American ship builders sucl
( portions of the great building program
authorized by congress as each plant i!
| best fitted to handle Bids for si2
scout cruisers received today were
within the linsit of cost fixed by con
eress but no awards will be made unit
the survey of tie entire ship building
| industry has been completed.
| Representative of all major shil
! building. companies VIII confer agail
| tomorrow with Secretary Daniels. Full
information as to the present capacit,
and possible extensions of each plan
now has been obtained. On the basi
of this data, a plan for distributin
Pm ong the plants the eight capita
ships, six scout cruisers, SS submarine
and u or more destroyers will b
mapped out and each builder be Gale
upon to undertake without delay hi
share of the work.
The low bidder for scout cruisers to
day was the Cramp company of Phila
delphia. The firm offered to construc
two scouts, but pointed out that
could not undertake also the cOnstruC
ton of a battle cruiser at the sam
time 1t was indicated at the depart
mcnt that because of the necessity {
getting the five battle cruisers on tn
ways in the shortest possible time,
might be necessary to assign one t
l the Cr9mp plant, leaving the scouts
other companies not equipped for large
work.
Assurances have been received frol
steel and other material makers thu
navy orders will be given the right
Continued on rhge two)