New-York tribune., 1918-07-30
Speed-Up Programme To
Be Mapped Out to Help
Shipbuilding Plans
Non-Essentials Will
Be Forced to Wait
Conference To-day to Make
Allotments to Meet In
creased Needs !

Pressing problems of war steel pro-
duction and distribution which have
arisen in recent weeks as a result of
the speeding up of the emergency ship
ping programme were cons idered at a
three hour session held at the Offices
Of the United States Steel Corporation
yesterday afternoon.
Representative of the United States
Shipping Board, the Emergency Fleet
Corporation, the War Industries Board
and the American iron and steel trade
attended. Discussion centred chiefly
about obtaining sufficient supply of
steel plates to keep pace with the rapid
progress of the ship programme.
After the meeting ]. Leonard Rep
logic United States Steel Administra
tor, said the steel production situation
had been canvassed thoroughly and
that at meeting to be held in Wash
ington either to-day or tomorrow be-
tween the War Industries Board and
the Emergency Fleet Corporation ar
rangements would be made to provide
q much larger tonnage of steel plates
for shipbuilding. At the same time
definite allotments of steel will be
made to the less essential industries.
1t was made quite plain that the needs
of the Emergency Fleet Corporation
in the way If steel plates will be taken
care of first
Leading Steel Men Present
All the leading men in the steel in
dustry who are devoting their energy
and time to obtaining maximum out
put of war steel were present at the
meeting. E. N. Hurley, chairman of the
United States Shipping Board, came on
from Washington, while Charles NJ.
Schwab, Director General of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation, arrived from
Philadelphia. Mr.. Replogle represent
ed the War Industries Board The
steel trade men present included Ell
bert II. Gary, chairman of the board
OF the United States Steel Corporation;
James A. Ferrell, president of the
United States Steel Corporation: E. A.
5. Clarke, of the Lackawanna Steel
Company; E. c. Grace, of the Bethle
hem Steel Corporation; j. a. Topping,
OF the Republic Iron and Steel Com
pany A. c. Dinkey, of the Midvale
Steel and Ordnance Company, and J.
ards G Mather.
Nj. Schwab emerged from the meet
ing in his shirt sleeves.
The situation" he told the news
paper men, "is that the Emergency
Fleet Corporation has been allotted a
certain tonnage of steel and now we
find we need a great deal more. We
hope to have our additional needs pro
vlded Tor at the Washington meeting"
He added that the outlook is favor
able. He denied that there had been
any friction between Mr.. Baruch and
Mr. Replogle, Of the War Industries
Board and the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration.
Shipbuilding Far Advanced
Mr.. Hurley declared that it was re-
markable what had been ACCOMPLISHED
considering the enormous pressure un-
der which the shipbuilding organiza-
tion had been working.
The programme of shipbuilding is
far advanced" he said. "Our needs
are changing constantly and will con-
tinue to change"
According to Mr.. Replcgle, the War
Industries Board is giving the non-es-
sential industries all the steel that
can be spared and still meet the war
requirements, which he described as
enormous. Regarding ship plates, he
stated that every effort was being put
forth to build up a surplus for the
winter months, when transportation
conditions might interfere with the
normal flow of steel from the mills to
the shipbuilding yards.