The sun., 1918-07-05

SCHWAB LAUNCHES
SEVENTEEN SHIPS
One of Twelve From His Own
Yards Was Built in
... 81 Days. &C.,.
THIS IS WORLD RECORD
Tells Workmen They Are Part
of American Fighting
Machine. .
THIS IS WORLD RECORD

SAN Francisco, July '+-ChaFles M
schwab, Director General Of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation. launched
twelve vessels from his own yards In
th,s district to-day and directed the
launching Of five more from other yards
Eight of the twelve vessels constructed
In Mr.. schwab's plants were destroyee'
four were freight vessels. one OF which,
the Defiance, was constructed in thirty
seven days--a worlds record
This Is the answer OF the, American
vorkinEman to the common foe, MT.
Schwab told the assembled thousands
as the big Defiance parted the waters
Of the Oakland estuary.
During the launchings the workingmen
cheered for President Wilson. while Mr..
Schwab stood arm in arm with repre-
sentatiyes of builders and workers
Among those assisting Mr.. schwao
were Charles Piez, vice-president OF the
Emergency Fleet Corporations CuthDert
MauShan, representing the British Ad-
miraity, and Charles A. Eaton. head OF
the national service section OF the Fleet
Corporation.
Mr.. Schwab delivered an address to
the vorkmen, in which he said, in part
"When I came to the Emergency Fleet
Corporation and separated myself from
active connection, with the Bethlehem
Steel, Corporation and the Bethlehem
shipbuilding Corporation, where thou
sands of men had worked with me so
loyalty, It was a sacrifice OF course, but
We are all making sacrifices in this war.
You and every man in every shipyard
in America are making sacrifices. You
are performing q very necessary ana
very patriotic service. 1t will 60 fur
Their perhaps toward winning the war
than any other service short OF the fight
ing on the battlenelds Of France. And
when realise that the honor has come
20 me to be your leader feel that 1t Ia
q great privilege. /. like You. am serv-
ing where America-the Government
tho President OF the, United States tells
me to serve.
Germans Will Learn Truth.
while the returns from the shipyards
are not yet in, venture to predict that
the number OF ships launched to-day is
the greatest record of launchings for a
single day in the history Of the world.
''when the truth percolates to the Ger
man people they will know that their
leaders have deceived them: that Amer
leans have their sleeves rolled up and
we have our fighting blood up; that we
are going to win this war II 1t takes the
last man, the last ounce Of strength. the
last resource ana the last dollar that
this country possesses.
WARS are not won altogether on the
battlefield. News Of Americas accom-
plishments in the shlpyards causes al
most as much CONSERVATION in Germany
as actual defeat. Do not think for one
minute that the Prussian Generals are
unmoved by what We are accomplishing.
They know that we launched a $500 ton
ship in twenty seven days from the time
the keel was laid in Camden. N. J. That
was n tremendous accomplishment never
before approached In any country. and 1t
was a blow In the face Of Prussian con-
fidence.
"It was out here In the West that
speed records were first made in the
shipyards. Before the war began 1t took
from six months to year to build the
largest types of steel ships. but the Pa
cifc coast cut down this time to ninety
days and then to ffty-five days.
Heater BOY Spirit of rs.
The best captains and colonies in our
shipbulding army, however, cannot oulid
ships without the strong armies OF the
privates, corporals and sergeants. The
heater boy to-day is a young hero who
deserves place alongside the drummer
boy in that picture you have seen 30
often. The Spirit Of TO-
What did the recent German raid on
American shipping really amount to?
These scavengers Of the sea began their
activities on May 25 and we continued to
hear from them up to June Is. In that
time they had sunk ten American YES
sells of $4,000 lightweight tons. These
we're mostly small ships, unarmed and
of no great consequence in the winning
of the war. In the same period of time.
from May 25 to June Is. American ship
yards completed and delivered to the
United States Shipping Board thirty
vessels ranging in tonnage from $500
TO 10000 lightweight and aggregating
$4,000 lightweight tons. Place thirty
ships OF 10000 tons against ten ships
Of $4,000 tons and you can see how much
this terrible submarine raid amounted to.
How shipbuilding Has Grown.
Now you wonder naturally how your
work has counted. Let me tell you. In
1915 ALI the shipyards In America turned
out 2l5,6O2 lightweight tons Of shipping.
The next year when the demand for
ships in foreign countries became so
great that every existing yard in Amer
lea entered into keen competition for
foreign contracts, our output jumped to
s2O,s47 tons. or almost double the total
for 1915. In 1917 the hot pace con-
tinued until we very nearly doubled the
output of the previous year. completing
n total OF 90l,223. We thought we were
building ships with almost million
lightweight tons OF finished vessels, but
am confident now that II We pull to-
gether and every man stays on the job
we will produce more than 5000, 900
, lightweight tons in 191s-the greatest
output OF any nation in the world in a
single year. -...- .'..
you have heard something about the
big Hog Island shlpbuilding plant out
aide of Philadelphia, That plant. has
nifty ways. 1t is n worlds fair in itself
and nothing like 1t has ever been
dreamed OF In the shipbuilding industry
II has acres and acres of shops, miles
upon miles OF railroad lines. 1t is the
working place of $4,000 tollers. Hos
Island presented problem that could
only be solved by hercuean- effort, and