New-York tribune., 1918-08-07

wv building of ships that we may
fail to do as much better as we
might. 1t may cause us to overlook the
fact that it is impossible to get enough
ships. Despite all the efforts of all the
shipbuilders Of the Allied and neutral ma
struction by only 100000 tons a month";
At that rate it would take us about five
years to catch up with the U-boat, allow
ing nothing for the ships the undersea
boats may destroy in the meantime
The limitations of steel transportation
and skilled workers are now putting
bounds to steel ship building. Mr.. Schwab
finds it impossible to get enough steel to
keep all the yards going to full capacity
The limitations of labor and material
have touched wooden ship building.
But there is still the concrete ship.
Its possibilities seem almost boundless
Yet the Shipping Board, promising much
in regard to concrete ships, performs
little, restrains private enterprise and
even hinders other departments of the
government from doing what it will
not do
Why?
Let us examine the outstanding facts.
Concrete ships have been urged on the
Shipping Board for more than year. 1t
did nothing until last December except
to do some research work through the
Bureau of Standards, when it first estab-
lished a concrete ship department. We
were then told that as soon as this de-
partment had made its Investigations
into the feasibility of the concrete ship
and had reported favorably action would
be immediate and adequate. About the
same time some half hearted tentative
experimental contracts were let, but they
came to nothing directly
Next we were told that much depended
on the Faith, concrete ship built at
San Francisco with little encouragement
and no assistance from the Shipping
Board. The Faith was successfully
launched on March ID
On April 5, R. j. Wig, chief of the
concrete department, reported to Chair
man Hurley that his investigations were
Concluded his plans ready and his deci-
sion unqualifiedly in favor of concrete
construction. Mr.. Wig submitted a pro-
gramme as follows
CD The immediate preparation of
twenty yards with seven ways each.
GU The building of 150 to 200 $500
ton ships by December 81, 1918.
(3) The building of 25O 7,5oo-ton
ships by August, 1919.
At this time plans were ready only
for the 3,500-ton ship which was the
size Mr.. Hurley had directed the concrete
department to begin work on. He then
took the position that the 3,50O-ton ship
was too small, and directed the concrete
department to begin work on PLANS for a
7,5OO-ton vessel This meant more celav.
Just at this juncture President Wilson
and Mr.. McAdoo took hand in affairs.
influential members of Congress BEGAN
to show interest, and Mr.. Hurley. on
April 8, suddenly asked the President to
recommend Congress to appronriate
s5o,ooo,ooo for concrete ships, stating
even then that the type of ship in con-
temptation was of $500 tons.
Finally, the Shipping Board let con-
tracts to six yards, with twenty-one ways
TOR total of forty-one ships and total
tonnage of less than 100000, as against
its own departments recommendation of
twenty yards, with forty ways and more
than 400 ships of about 100000 tons.
Some time this month the first of the
ships Will be launched. There is no pres
ent prospect that the whole fortv-one