The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-27
Recent Suruey Show the
 South Plays Great Role
 L1 Construction Of Ships
Bv JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES

work to be carried on every day in the year and the nearness to the yellow pine lumber and other materials which surpass the advantages of any other section.
 These same conditions minify also to great degree the serious and ham, pering element of housing which makes it possible for the shipbuilders them selves to solve the housing problem and not leave it entirely to the care of heavily hurdened government
 The whole Atlantic seaboard from Fortress Monroe all down the coast and around through the Gulf of Mexico to Houston and Galveston are now lined with shipping plants. shipyards and dry docks to enrich the country.
 ADMIRABLE SPIRIT OF LABOR
 The shipping board at Washington received the other day this telegram from Savannah:
 "The Terry Shipbuilding yard is 100 per cent American. No slackers here. Every man without exception has lib orally subscribed to Liberty Bonds. We are working P hours a day and driv- ing 800 and 300 flush irvets per day per gang. We are proud of our men,
 Chairman Hurley wired this reply:
 The patriotism displayed by your force in 100 per cent subscription to Liberty Bonds and the energy shown in shipbuilding work is beyond praise. That is the spirit which will win the war. Congratula tions to you and ev- cry member of the force."
 COWBOYS AS SHIPBUILDERS
 The cowboys in the south are the latest endorsements to the army of shipbuilders From every section of the southwest they are furrying to the yards to do their part in speeding up production. Being agile and able -bodied and chockfull of spirit, they make splendid workers, and are doing work now on the finest ships.
 government expert tells of seeing on his recent trip through Texas a troop of Texas cowboys in the shipyards who never saw puddle of water larger than city square. who never saw a ship never smelled salt water, didn't know whether ships were animate or inanimate things. Five months later there cantered up to the gate of the National Shiphrilding company's yard a company of genuine, uncurried COW punchers, chaps Tapping, spurs jing- ling, quirts swinging. sombreros ralS- ishly set on their heads, and Luke Haley, loose -jonted giant of herd boss introduced himself and his com- panions to the yard foreman, said they heard that the United States was call- ing for men to help build a herd of ships" such being the case, completed MT. Haley, lead us to it.. we are r'aring to go.'
 And in they went and have done splendidly all the way.
 They are boastng all over Georgia and Texas of having increased the ef- ficiency of the shipyards from 20 to 80 per cent in a few months time.
 To sum up the whole splendid situa- ton in the south, shipbuilding has ex- banded enormously
 Patriotic harmony and understand ing prevailed everywhere between the shipbuilders and the shipping board.
 Efficiency is increasing wonderfully.
 The momentum of the industry of the south will enable ship production to catch up with the shipping board programme within a short time, and add to the production, if necessary, two- fold or threefold.
 It is exected that the majority of the new contracts will be given to the southern and eastern shipyards.