Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22

ed and under contract by the Emer-
gency Fleet corporation there have
been taken over for government use
approximately 10000 tons of ex-Ger-
man and ex-Austrian ships. or the
Austrian ships all, with the exception
of one which was requistiOned, were
acquired through private parties and
are now privately owned although un-
der the control of the shipping board.
On Oct Is the shipping board issued
a general order requistioning all
steam vessels of American registry of
$500 tons dead weight capacity or
over. This action placed within the
control of the shipping board prac-
tically all American tonnage suitable
for transatlantic service, and these
vessels are being turned over to the
war department and the navy depart
ment as their requirements may de-
mand
/ Next in importance to caring for the
army and navy and the assignment of
such vessels as are absolutely neces-
sary to the service of our allies, is the
transportation of imports for our
manufacturers of certain raw material
that are necessary for the production
of munitions, steel and other war
necessities, as well as what we must
import to supply our domestic re-
quirements. For example, we must
bring in annually from New Caledonia
approximately 175,000 tons of chrome
ore; from South America, 1880, 900
tons of nitrates; 100000 tons of man
ganese ore; from Spain, we must i'm
port 100000 tons of pyrites month
to supply our requirements for fertil-
iZers and chemicals We must sup
ply ships to bring in 100000 tons of
sugar from Cuba and Porto Rico;
100000 tons of wool from Australia
and a like amount from Argentina
100000 tons of hemp from Manila, and
100000 tons of coffee from Brazil. We
must import $4,000 tons of hides from
Argentina and 100000 tons Of fresh
meat 1t is estimated that for these
importations a total tonnage of 1,750.-
900 dead weight capacity will be re.
quired.
Shipping Boards Task.
The task which the shipping board
? has before it in the construction oil
ships may be appreciated when it is
, known that the total ship cOnstruc
ton in the United States during The
year 1916 aggregated little less thar
, 100000 tons, while the average fol-
five years preceding did not exceed
: $4,000 tons. From this amount o
, construction the shipping board is ex
. panding the shipbuilding activities o
the country to program contemplat
ing 100000 tons, or an increase o
t $500 per cent during the year 1918.
At the present time there are ap
f proximately 100 yards building ship
( under contract with the Emergenc
: Fleet corporation. This number doe
4 not include approximately 20 yard
= where Communicated ships are beinI
\ completed OF the yards building yes
s sells for the Emergency Fleet corpora
ton under contract, approximately
e per cent are new yards. The frs
: vessel constructed under contrac
e with the fleet corporation was launch
d ed ON Saturday, Nov. "a, at Seattle,
: vessel Of $500 tons dead weight ca
t pacity.
v The feet corporation has practio
: ally standardized five classes Of yes
= sels-wooden vessels of $500 ton!
n and steel vessels Of 5000, $500, $50
and 5000 tons. OF the steel vessel
under contract 80 are what are know
as the fabricated ships of three differ
e ent types, 5000. $500 and 5000 tom
y These are being built in three differer
u yards. one yard having contract fo
s. $50 vessels of 5000 tons, one, 120 {
/ 1900 tons, and one, 40 of 5000 tons.