The Washington herald., 1918-03-27
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

der Of the space was taken by the Or
ders which had been placed by Amer
nlean owners, and by foreign owners,
Fho, pressed for more ships, had fill-
"a the yards Of America to overflow
bing.
We were faced with the necessity
OF creating an entirely new indus
try. We had to undertake a job
that would have daunted anyone
but America We had to locate
on waste ground many new ship
yards IL we were to meet the need
OF constructing new ships. This
was the FIRST, and the biggest part
OF the job that faced US. 1t is easy
10 build ships IL you can go to a
trained shipbuilder. who has a we'll
established yard, with an experience
ed force Of riVeters. carpenters and
caulkers, and place an order with
him. There was no yard to which
we could GO We had to establish
the yards first, get the shipbuild-
ers to take charge OF them, and
train the men to build the ships.
There were thiTty-seVen steel
shipyards in America at the time
Of our entrance into war. We have
located eighty-one additional steel
and wood yards. while eighteen
other yards have been expanded.
Does America realize what this Job
means? Does it realize what a
tribute is paid to its own initiative
fn this achievement?
"Greater Wartime Nation"
Ne are building in the new and
expanded steel yards 235 new steel
ship ways. or twenty-six more than
at present exist in all of the steel
shipyards OF England II we had
been content with doing the job in
a small way. we might have built
a few new yards. and added a little
to our capacity. A few ships might
have been finished more quickly:
but it was the spirit and will OF
America to do the Job in a big
way. and the Judgment Of the coun-
try will be Vindicated by the re-
suits when all these new ways are
completed and are turning out
ships Many Of these ways have
actually been finished. The new in
dustry we have created will make
America the greatest maritime ma
tion in the history of the world.
1t took Germany forty years to
build up her military machine. In
less than eight months we have
built up a shipbuilding machine
which, when 1t gets into full swing
will defeat the military machine of
Germany.
1t took Henry Ford. with all his
genius for organization and stand
ardization. sixteen years in which
TO develop his enormous produc-
tion. 1t has required twenty years
for the SUnited States Steel Cor
tporation TO develop its activities to
the point where they represent an
Organization. One-half as large as
has been undertaken by the Emer-
Gency Fleet Corporation.
The American government. back
ed by the American people, has un-
dertakeR a far mightier job and
will put il through.
Struggling against something that
cannot be avoided Is more baffling
than struggling against something
that can be. You can appeal to
striking men to go back to work,
but you can make no appeal against
zero weather. We did what we
could. We told the new shipyards
to go ahead and use dynamite in
locating their pilings. The men in
those new yards fought the bit
ter weather. They had the same
spirit. and demonstrated the same
pluck and unself1shness as the men
in the trenches. And they have
completed the job of building
Americas new shipyards-the new
Yards that will make us the great
est shipbuilding nation
A Vessel Launched I'm "a Days.
1t has been an uphill struggle.
I am willing to confess there have
been times when We have been dis
couraged. not at the magnitude OF
the task. but through a doubt OF
human ability to accomplish the stu
pendous work in the short time al
lowed.
But we have had our moments OF
eIatfon when We have felt that we
are making progress. The record
made by the Skinner & Eddy Com
pany. OF Seattle. is case in point
That company laid the keel for an
S.s0O-ton vessel. which was launch
ed in sixty-four days. She was
delivered to the Fleet Corporation
on January 5 and started on the
first voyage on January IL. This
record accomplishment shows what
can be done in live. wide-awake ef-
icient American shipyards.
Than n few daya aRa we recafyed