The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-16
MERCHANT MARINE
BUILDING URGED
Shipping Board Asks Exten.
sion of Present Great Sea
Programme.
CONCRETE WORK SLOW
Wooden Ship Construction
Probably viii Undergo
Radical Change.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-Compleuon
of the present merchant marine con.
struction programme is recommended
by, the United States Shipping Boa,d
in its second annual report to Con.
gress, made public to-day. The quos.
ton OF a permanent programme Is lett
for future determination.
Describing the tremendous flce' now
operated by the Government. the re.
port shows how enemy tonnage was
secured not only by taking over YES
sells informed in United States harbus
but by purchasing and chartering from
other nations which likewise lad
seized German and Austrian ships
Cuba. China, Siam, Brazil Uruguay
and Peru all aided the United States
and the Allies In this regard. The cost
of repairing tho German and Austrian
vessels amounted 10 Approximately
ISL, 1914, 1870.
The Emergency Fleet Corporation
of the board owned on November g.
according TO the report. a total Of 45i
new ships, of 2,64S,S92 deadNeigft
tons: 90 former German vessels -
343,206 deadweight tons; six former
Austrian vessels ggregat;ng 35e6f
lightweight tons; and sc other ships
OF 1929 tons.
or the 81 Dutch vessels taken over
under Presidential proclamation. 50 q
236,340 lightweight tons, were nnn-
aged by the Shipping Board and III.
others by the navy. There were 32'
foreign ships of 1.366.36l deadweict'
tons under charter to the board o.
| this date and $50 American ships q
c,91O.T66 lightweight tons under requ'.
| sitior, making a total fleet ot l56
vessels aggregating 749S07J dead.
, weight tons owned, managed or char
tered by the Shipping Board.
/ Regulation of Tonnage Difficult
| With regard TO the requisition,ng Of
American tonnage, the report says,
! Perhaps no phase of the Shipping
| Boards work has been more difficult
to adjust fairly and Satisfactorily thar
that involved in the requisitoniDs -
! ships for use. Nevertheless. most
owners have coopcrated with cN client
spirit"
| Contracts and commitments o. e
Emergency Fleet Corporation fer 's
! construction OF ships made curing ra
| year provided for 1896 steel cargo
ships, of S.S77,605 deadUeiCLt tons
so steel tankers, Of 1871, 900 deadwaie'
tons; "a steel troop ships, of 1'iGd'
lightweight tons; . steel hospital ,HN
OF 10000 lightweight tons: ! steeI 20
frigerator ships Of $500 deadVa.s.'
tons; I04 oceangoing steel tugs a't
s steel harbor tugs, end Is '''el
barges, >of $4,000 deadwcicht t"o'.
The wood and composite slip r'1-
tracts called for ISL complete wood
ships OF To7.5O0 deadweight tons. -
hulls, of 1.s41 900 deadwcGht TOYS
$40 barges OF $685. deadwoiEh' '7"s
1852 wood tugs. and 30 composite sings
of 10000 deadwcieht tons
From the time of its organization p
to August 81. 1918. says tho report -
corporation had negotiated as po'.
tracts, aggregating COOS vessels wa
total of 14.1l9.130 deadwoiGh' lows.
involving an estimated cost of $3.50
216.204
Dealing with tho stool ship rro.
of the steel ship construction dNi>o.
have been devoted to acceloratnC II"
construction of ships, obtaining ship
suitable for war purposes, improrrG
the quality of new construction 7n'
obtaining ships at reasonable price
J During the year ended August II '''
keels were laid. S5s ships launched a't
EST ships of 100000 dcadWe!sh' te0,
completed.
The report declares that U7''
rally better accomplishment Is cow.
IDENTIFY expected during tho comm
year and that gratifying proGr'
: along technical lines was MADE. ~
ticularly in the simpuhca'lou and To-
provcment of ships and stadari.Ga'
of the many fittings required.
With regard TO the wood ship 0''.
, Sramme, the report says IN" "oa'
) has recognized that more careful a.
4 tention should he given to SHIPS ~
2 large size, and after investigation mas
; decided to recommend that efforts h'
concentrated upon tho constructor
: 5000 ton flush deck wood slir N''.
Z would be as strong As The a0'N t'.
types now being built. ana vht j 'oad
I be produced at saving of a"woy
Z mately $50 per ton. At tho prose
2 time ten types Of wood ships OIL. ''
: 1000 and 900 deadweigh, to"s arc o''
ing turned out.
2 Concrete Construction Limited.
4 Since August wood shin nrn' ''''
4 has averaged ut least one 'o'"''''
2 ready for service wood steam .n '"'