The Washington herald., 1918-08-13
CAN SHIP FIVE
MILLION MEN
US Shipping Facilities Will
Certainly Be Adequate.
Says Holland.

No doubt prevails in the financial
district respecting the ability OF The
United States speedily to enrol, an
army of five million men and to
transport as many Of them as are
needed In France by the early Spring
OF next year. The attitude Of the
goverument towards the creation Of
large army and the almost incon-
ceiyably great achievement of the
. american shipbuilders. an echieve-
ment which will be continued until
'tne war ends. are regarded as indi-
eatfng not only to our allies but to
germany that the United States Is in
this war until through victory the
Kind of peace which will be perma-
. hent can be assured. Thero are no
learn in the financial district and
nowhere Is there more easerness or
Willingness 1i3yiayed to aid the gov-
ernment in every possible way to the
and that peace may be brought about
through victory. than is the case now
IN the financial district.
Leaders there are speaking with
enthusiasm and with some cmaze-
ment OF the fact that within a single
year the United States has baconra
tne greatest shipbuilding nation In
the world The men Of finance have
achieved greatly but they have done
50 because OF the fine organization
OF the Federal Reserve Board, and
me cooperation OF the excellently
trained bankers throughout the
United States But these things which
the shipouilders have accomplished
represent CHIEFLY the work Of new
men. In April of last year thers
We're in tho ITnffn1
seven steel shipyards. Tho number
Is now double that figure and even
me old yards have been so enlarged
mat the former capacity of a hundred
ana siXty-two ways has been in
creased TO nearly two hundred ways.
Wooden Shipyards Increase.
When we went into the war there
were in the United States only
twenty-four shipyards in which
wooden vessels were constructed
Today there are eighty yards of this
Kind end the number is to be in
creased.
DR.. Charles A. Eaton who a few
days ago returned from an official
visit to all of the shipyards on the
Pacific Coast said this morning Just
before departing for visit to ship
yards upon the Atlantic coast that
never was there a more accurate
statement made than that one which
was made recently by Chairman
Hurley OF the Shipping Board. un-
der whom DIR. Eaton is serving in
the Emergency Fleet Corporation
department. Mr.. Hurley said that at
least forty years passed before Ger
many built up her military machine,
whereas in less than eight months
the United States had built up a
shipbuilding machine which, when it
gets into full swing, will contribute
greatly toward the defeat OF Ger
many.
a year ago when the government
began to call for aid in shipbuilding
construction much the greater num-
Der Of men who responded TO that
appeal were unfamiliar with this
work. DR.. Eaton says II is one of
the Inarvels OF this day of great
'kchievements by the United States
that within a few weeks or a few
months at the utmost these ship
workers have become skilled arti-
sans.
II IL were not so we could not
have made a record in a single year
which establishes the United States
as the greatest shipbuilding nation
in the world. Furthermore. DR.. Eaton
says that It must he borne in mind
that we have recruited an army OF
skilled artisans which are building
boilers. machinery and equipment for
the ships which today Is fully equal
to the entire number of American
troops now in France. It is probable
that within the next eight months
there will be employed in this Ameri-