Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-22
Ships Needed Now
To Bring Boys Home
By Fr d ric J. Haskin

Washington. ID. G., November II
Not long ago n widely circulated news
item proclainled that the | nited states
could control enough shipping to bring
back the overseas forces in three months.
This statement has done more to rum the
cheerful disposition of the members OF
the Shipping Poard than u shortage ot
uyctcrs or the high cost OF irving nails
f.mplovcs of the oard are becoming
sensitive abou, the report ITS rld'cu-
lous. " they murmur coldly, with W tier
ing glance NJ the latest inquirer nj tier truth.
There is no doubt that the statement
referred to was taken seriously ny many
people. and that relatives and friends
of soldiers immediately figured out that
their particular soldier would be home by
Christmas or, If not. certainly by New
ears DAY
But 70 carry 1000, 900 men requires
5000 900 tons of shipping, or three tons
for each man We have about 6.loN.u'o
tonsin our marine. and II would, OF course,
be lmpusSiblc to utilize the entire tcct
or even most OF II for troop transportation
Furthermore. only ships OF over tour
thousand tons are used as transports
IMPORTANT QUESTION SOW.
Adequate shipping is now more I'M
rortant than ever hcc4ilsc OF the close
r.lationS which must bc Inantaincd be-
tween this country and the dc astntcd
countries of Europe Food, clothing amt
labor can hr c1rrci to them only by
ships, and the amount sent viii ~"
measured lV the amount ot Shipping
available The inerctl1nt marine "t The
United States Is growing pr"iiL 1nSil .
hut II cannot lc;r the entire burden
To arrange y pool 81 shipping Will p"sSiiiN
/ g. ;, dIItv of t.r peace conference. Tor
mi, = some such step is taken, the n"utr !
iatians vii put part Of their Shipping
i,to trade wit Il the micd States whore
th,. b,>t prirts ran hc oltar"d, and
scatter the rest in VOYAGES To distant
ports Tins would mean that PriFiU u,
Rus~Ia Scrl i, and other dcStltutcs conn
tries would ic without imports Ike
construction would tr seriously rtt r'tCd
Ships m increasing nunhers VIII nc
needed hv the | nltcd States, not only
Ia k,ci, food and other experts moving
to Europe .rom tins country. but to carry
IL iutopc troops, especially engineers,
and tronp supplies. | NTH tie War Pc
pstItInent policy ae ~ further troop
shipments overseas i announced. y i
iinpn~sIbc tn estimate how mIch Shipping
Will hc rcIul>Itlpncd fnr tins purpose.
Nn,ihc Germany viii * policed and i
- 4r extent ii tlc garrison. all nt winch
viii ~ dcriird later, l. matter winch
viii affect shipping affairs
~E~p " GtAN~ upMr
|, i believed tha. the War Department
viii send back to tie I-n'cd states men
uun have seen tie longest active scr
We. and send forward tho~r who arc
overseas hchiud hc ine,. 81 tla' they
NAV have 4 share IN whatever work
j. 10 hc doa"
Two hundred thousand -n,hrrS u
month Is considered Il hNriy estimate ~
the rate. III phrh soldiers nay - returned
IT, the lnltcd states irr . Whlc >hspS
ringing soldiers atk to thu count !
will return loaded largely i i f"iicvcd
with skilled workers of tho army
In order that trade may not ~taCuito
and reconstruct ION IT, set tack, >hIpNar,i-
arr working more rapidly than ever,
turning out three ships ~ tidc or'.in"rllN
takcn to build one sixteen million tons
OF shipping hy 1920 were called for lN
the wartime program, to make MP n
adcQuatc merchant marine for TIE
('pifra States Cessation oi hostIhtic>
alters this schedule IN nc Way except ihnt
dclnotiization II oar fgt,ing forces Mil
r,ly:,s, hundreds of skilled workers who
g.il tnd II lie ~hlpy.rt!> permanent work
and good p:v Nith this SOURCE Of material
70 draw fro.n. the nltcd Stltcs may have
as Ii .0On oOu-ton n.rinc clorc the ap-
pointed tnn,
Before tie var IA. nite'i states
struggled along with a marine q les
than 10000 tons. supplemented tN
chartered ships oi other nations Now
when South Amcric;. ls an open market
for United states trade, and when oar
commerce HIS been thriving while that
of other countries has been crippled,
I6.tsN 600 tons Is conservation al
low..ncc for or needs
To t4oat our new ships there must be an
enormous mere. sc III olir merchant marine
u prSonncl Four thousand officers and
lncn are nov tclag recruited each month
to msu these ships. ana when men from
the army ranks speed uD the shipping
program. tho number oi S"iors required
IL Le proporf ionatciE mcrc sed
HA- L2E oN NAVY.
The Shipping Roar. 5 casually keapine
IN -. ~. thcku:zv = possible source
uf Supply No arrangements nave been