The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-22
.SH|PS FROM CHINA
To HELP WIN WAR
Construction for America Elk
pected to Promote Friend
ship Of Nations.
TIME IS
Veteran Engineer Declares Re-
suits Will Be Far-reach-
ing Through Years
to Come.

Washington, July 21,-The United
States is looking tar ahead in its war
preparations and does not propose to
have its motives misunderstood.
a consistent policy OF friendship,
open-handed generosity and real aid
for the small nations Will o o give
the right impression. it is believed.
f. b. Mauchan. a noted Scotch en-
Fineer who has lived in China for the
last thirty years, and who for four
teen years has been in the government
service as head of the great ehipyard
at Shanghai, believes the letting Of
contracts for ships in China was a.
master stroke of diplomacy and will
nave a f~ar-reaching effect.
The action of the United States
shipping board in awarding a huge
contract TO the Shanghai yard is going
to produce remarkable results for
America In China" said Mr.. Mauchan
today.
Chairman Hurley is blazing the
way for big things in China There
can be no doubt of the effect of this
innovation know China. I know
what she thinks of America. 7 know
her people Henerate American institu-
tions. They look to America as a child
does 10 IT'S parent. China has a high
regard for the United States for what
it has done for her people. This coun-
try should now make tht most Of that
feeling. The shipping board has taken
a long step in the right direction
DO you realize the effect the build
ing Of American ships in China will
have upon the young men Of China
and the appeal il viii make to them >
Knowing as they do the part that
shipping plays in the winning Of the
war, can You not see the sentimental,
as well as the economic. side OF this
action Closer commercial relations
must result, Another phase certain TO
follow the action Of the shipping board
may he described in this way
First, a development Of the vast
T opportunities for commercial relations
between China and America. Only
the fringe of the possibilities has heen
touched. Unlike many other undevel-
oped lands. China Is intellectually
awake. ShipbuildinR In China Is not
a new venture. II goes back hundreds
Of years But building American
ships there is new and novel II has
an appeal that strikes the Chinese
mind with tremendous force at A
time when all eyes are turned toward
her.
After the war America must have
an outlet for its surplus steel and ma
+ rn1ne Tools, machinery and a|Ertcuitu-
raj implements without Il large OK
port business built up with countries
like China. America viii he in a dis
advantageous position. But the devel-
opment of shipbuildtng in China will
In no wise handicap America. The re-
ciprocal relations viii more thai bal
ance.
For several years China has been
building an average of eighty steel
vessels a year. but the industry has
been heavily handicapped since 1916.
when Great rBitain put an embargo
on steel shipments to China. Natural
~ China turned to America for her
supply of steel, and the United States
did all 1t could to relieve the situa e
ton, but limited tonnage held hack de-
liveries. Now the yards start to work
again with steel supplied by the
! United States to he converted into
ships for the United states and help to
make up the shortage in tonnage that
has harassed the nations of the earth
since the outbreak of the war"