Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-02-05
Efforts Being Made to Obtain
Neutral Tonnage to Garry
Industrial Supplies to Amer
lea During War;
SHIPS RECOGNIZED
GREATEST PROBLEM
Estimated From Four to Seven
Tons to Keep Each Soldier
Supplied Shipments PiIing
Up on Docks,

lay MORNING IousakL SPECIAL Leased wiRsl
washington. Feb. A so per cent
reduction in the volume OF imports
Is one of the measures under conSid-
Grafton by the administration to make
available ships for transporting troops
to France.
Overseas transportation is recog-
nized as the real problem facing the
government in its effort to put on the
firing line a big fighting force ana
keep it in supplies. Estimates Of the
amount of tonnage necessary to keep
an army supplied vary all the way
from four to seven tons in continu-
GUS service for each man engaged
The United States now has in all
services about 100000 tons of ship
ping, of which probably one-fourth
is engaged in bringing materials
heretofore regarded as essential to
the national industrial life.
Treat With Neutrals.
If negotiations now under way with
neutral countries are concluded sue
ccssfully a large. amount of neutral
tonnage will be used to supplant
American ships engaged in non-haz-
ardous trades. Ii is regarded as ike
ly that the entire 100000 tons OF
American ships engaged will be put
into the transatlantic service, leav-
ing the neutral ships to supply insoT
far as possible the gap made. The
general opinion is that about SO per
cent of the shortage will not be sup
piled.
In addition to its efforts to obtain
neutral tonnage the government ex-
poets soon to take over all American
sailing ships and large number Of
French sailing ships, all of which will
be put in non-hazardous trades, This
move will add some tonnage to that
available for bringing in imports.
If a cut in imports is made the
government will select for elimination
"a list of articles which it regards as
not essential in the prosecution of the
war. Imports of certain materials, in
Guiding nitrates and manganese, must
be kept up to maximum The coun-
TRY will need this year about 1,500,-
coo tons of nitrates from Chile and
fully 750,000 tons of manganese from
Brazil.
Officials who are working out de-
tails of the transportation of troops
have not disclosed to what extent the
allies are ready to assist with a loan
of tonnage, but many American SOL
diers will go abroad in allied vessels.
This was arranged for in the inter-al-
lied conference at Paris and was an
nounced on the return to the United
States of Col Edward M. House.
Hope for Big Output.
Shipping board officials estimate
Americas shipping output during
1918 at from 100000 to 5000, 600
tons, much of which they expect to
become available in the summer.
Production in the latter half of the
year is expected to more than dou-
fle that during the first half and Of
ficials say the shipping situation will
grow steadily more favorable as the
year advances.
Supplies for the allies and for the
American army abroad still are piling
up faster than they can De trans
ported and it is estimated that more
than million tons of cargo are
awaiting shipment along the Atlantic
seaboard Even had the country s
| production of materials come up to
expectations and had the railroads
been able to transport it, no more
goods, officials say, could have been
| transported across the seas.
The shipping board, realizing the
| situation, is redoubling it's efforts to
speed up the building of ships. With
| the assistance of the labor depart
ment they are creating reserve OF
shipyard labor, which they expect to
place in the yards as fast as it can
| be absorbed.