The Cordova daily times., 1918-03-02
SHIPBUILDING
 OPERATIONS IN
 ATLANTICCOAST
lBy Associated Pressl

PHILADELPHIA, March 2.-More than one-third of the war vessels and merchant ships called for by the pro- gram of the United States government are building in ship yards along the Delaware river, according to figures which have just been made public with the permission of the emergencv fleet corporation. The tonnage contracted for, according to government officials, has transformed the Delaware valley into the greatest shipbuilding center in the world
 w E. Ferguson, a representative of the emergency fleet corporation, es- inmates that an army of about 85 900 shipworkers will be required to com plete the PIP ships, including war yes sels, contracted for by the eleven shipbuilding plants between Trenton and Delaware City.
 Work on 120 cargO-carriers at the new government yard at Hog island is progressing and this plant is en- gazing to turn out 6,OOO,OOO additional tons in 1918. More than 2,25O,O0O tons will be the Delaware rivers first quota in the fleet which Uncle Sam relies on to help win the war.
 At the new shipyard at Bristol, Pa, forty ships are contracted for. Here more than 5000 men are at work and 1t is expected that 10000 more will be necessary to complete the vessels on schedule,
 Ten vessels are being constructed at another new yard at Cornwells, Pa. The force there of 800 men will be in creased to 2,0O0 At a well-known Phil adelphia shipbuilding plant more than 50 ships are to be turned out Most of these are government craft on which more than 5000 men are en- gagged. Another thousand is needed.
 In the big yard at Camden, N. j.. across the river from Philadelphia, :. 200 men are building twenty-four ships More workers are needed here also
 Two yards at Gloucester, N, J, are turning out sixteen ships with a force of about 5000 men. Twice this mum her of shipworkers is needed.
 Two large plants, one new one, al Chester, Pa, have contracted foI eighteen and twenty.six ships respec lively. One plant has only 1,700 men on the payroll and requires at leas, 5000 more, according to the govern ment figures. The other yard is em ploying 2,e0O men whereas, at leasr 5000 are necessary to complete its contracts.
 The plant at Hog island is now em ploying about 10000 workers and off cials there estimate that at least 32. 900 are needed. Work in one plant at Wilmington Del, is progressing on thirteen ships  on which 2,8OO men are employed This company is in the market foI l another 1000 workers. At another plant in that city eight ships are being built by force of 1000 men and of ficials require 1,600 more
 A drive under the auspices of tht government, is now being conducted throughout the country to register al men in the eighty-seven trades allied with shipbuilding. Many of these me chanies are now engaged in other oc equations and it is planned to trans fer them to the seaboards without dis turbing industry.
 Labor difficulties and shortage o steel and other materials, it is ex pected, will treble the original esIim ate of the cost of the ships contracted for. Recent investigation of the Della ware river plants indicated that most of the vessels being built will he com tpleted in schedule time.