New-York tribune., 1918-12-16
Keep Building
Trade Vessels.
Plea OF Board
Completion and Extension
of Present Programme
Urged in Years Report
1886 Ships Controlled
L. S. Emergency Fleet Cor
poration Owns ASS New
Graft, of 2,648,892 Tons

WASHINGTON. Dec. Is. - Compile
tion of the great merchant marine con-
struction programme as it now stands
modified to meet the coming of peace
and still further extension of ship
building is recommended by the United
States Shipping Board in its second
annual report to Congress, made pub
lie to-day. The question of a perman-
ent merchant marine programme is
left for future determination, the
board indicating that it will have sug
gestions regarding both development
and operation at the conclusion of in
vestigations now in progress.
Under the head of "Recommenda-
tions' the board says:
because all of the subjects which
relate to costs of construction and to
costs, policies. and practices in opera
tion are so closely interrelated the
Shipping Board feels that it should
not at this time make any specific re-
Communications to the Congress for
legislation on the subjects under in
vestigation and related subjects until
the studies which teh board is now
undertaking have been further devel-
opcd. The force of present conditions
limits tonnage available for CONNER
cial use for an indefinite period, be-
cause such tonnage will be needed to
supply our armies overseas and to
bring them home. Moreover Europe
must be fed and supplied with the
necessary materials to permit the re-
construction of devastae areasd in
order that both our friends and our
enemies may become self-supporting
and the burden Of feeding the world
taken from our shoulders Therefore,
the board recommends generally that
the programme for the reconstruction
of vessels rs modified to meet peace
conditions should be carried through
and should be eXtende
ut feels that until the situation is
further developed it should not recon-
mend specifically the degree nor the
manner in which the programme
should be extended In view of these
circumstances. the board deems it ad :
vlsabie t. submit to the Congress at q
future date is recommendations in
these particulars"
Describing the tremendous fleet now
operated ly the government, the report
shows how enemy tonnage was secured
not only b. taking over vessels in
termed IN United States hMbors, but by
purchasing and chaetering from other
nations, which likewise had seized Ger
man and Austrian ships Cuba, China
Siam Brazil t'ruguar aNd Peru all
aid the United States and The Allies in
this regard. The cosj Of repairing the
German and Austrian vessels amounted
to approximately S1l.194SG2.70.
Big Fleet Owned
The Emergency Fleet Corporation Of
the board owned on November 21. ac-
cording to tne report. total of 455
new shins. OF 2,G4s So deadweight
tons; fftv-niNe former German vessels
of 343.206 Aeadweight tons. six former
Austrian We. els agcregating 35.262
deadweioh' tons and thirty-six other
ships 81 l3l. IS tons.
Of the eiehtN-one Dutch vessels
taken over unIor Presidential proc
iamation Afty-two. Of 236 $40 dead
weight tons. we're managed by the Ship
ping Board and tho others BY the navy
There were 3.S foreign ships of 1866
361 deadwci" IL, tons under charter to
the board on this doto. and $50 Ameri-
can ships Of 910,I6 doadweirht tons
under re0uisition. maEiAg tolal feet
of 1886 Ve sells a~ercgatng 7.A9s075
deadVelght IONS oWned. managed OF
Shin Owners Cooperate
With segari. 10 the reuuisitioning OF
American tonaafe the r.por, SAYS:
"PerhaDs no phase Of the Shipping
Boards work has been more difficult to
adjust fairiv and satisfactorily than
that involved in the requisitioning OF
ships for use Nevertheless, most own
ers have cooperatcd with excellent
spirit"
Contracts and commitments of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation for the
construction Of ships made during the
year provided for 1925 steel cargo
ships of S,877 sos deadweikht tons, &C
steel tankers of $4,000 deadweight
tons, 81 steel troopships of 787, ,00C
deadweight tons. steel hospital ships
of 10000 deadweight tons, steel re-
frigerator ships of 81, 500 deadweight
tons, 104 oceangoing steel tugs and
steel harbor tugs, and 16 steel barges
of 81 800 deadwelght tons
The wood and composite ship CON
tracts called Tor l91 complete wood
ships OF 107 500 deadweight tons, 519
hulls OF 1,S1l.00 dcadweight tons, lao
barges of 359, 800 dcadweight tons, 1862
wood tugs and 32 composite ships OF
10000 deadwe ght tons.
Over Two Billions for Ships
From the time of its organization uI
to August 81, 1918, says the report, the
corporation had negotiated 495 con.
tracts, aggregating 2,29S vessels, with
a total of l4,119,l30 deadweight tons
.----------------------------------