Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-11
US, MERCHANT FLEET
WORLDS GREATEST
Tonnage of IS 900, 900 Hurley Pre-
diets; l3,5l8.000 Tons
Next Year.

South Bend. Ind, June l1.-Amer-
lea in 1920 will have a merchant marine
of %, 900 900 lightweight tons, Chairman
Hurley of the Shipping Board declared
here last night in an address giving the
most complete statement of the nations
shipbuilding program which has yet
been made public. He was speaking to
the graduates of Notre Dame Univer-
sity.
This great commerce fleet, Mr.. Hur-
Icy said, the largest ever assembled In
the history of the world and involving
the expenditure of more than SIS, 600, 600
900. will link the United States 10 South
and Central America by weekly steamer
service, which will enable the Latin
American countries To utilize their UNI
limited natural resources IN the freest
competition with other nations. 1t also
will bridge the Pacific for the transpor-
tation of the products of Japan, Russia,
China, Australia and the Orient, and
will continue to promote Americas trade
with Europe
And with it all. he added, American
ships will serve humanity Loyalty and
unselfishly on the same principles of
liberty and justice which brought about
the establishment of this republic.
The vast merchant fleet we are
building" said Mr. Hurley "Nust he
come the greatest instrument Of inter
national probity, honesty and square
dealing at the close of the war. IL
must become the vast and vital machine
whereby America will prevent the OPP
preston of the weak by the strong, the
crushing of right by might
NEXT YEAR 13.51S, 900 TONS.
Mr.. Hurley said he and DirrctorGen-
eral Schwah OF the Emergency Fleet
Corporation expected the shipping out
put this wear To exceed 5000 900 dead
weigh, tons, while next wear he ma
tons tremendous new shipbuldng IN
dustry would he capable Of turning out
1885, 900 deadweight tons, more than
Great Britain. heretofore the greatest
builder Of ships has completed in any
five wears Of her history
Ii was before the formation Of the
present shipping board, Mr. Hurley
continued that Secretary McAdoo in
sisted that our pioneering upon the high
seas must in the future he done by an
interest having houndleSs resources, an
interest that has single purpose the
general welfare Of the nitcd States. as
a whole Obviously. there IS but one
such interest. and that is the govern
ment Of the United States
MORE THAN | 400 SHIPS.
'.On the lst Of June We had increased
the Amercan-buIlt tonnage 70 over
>, 500. 900 lightweight tons OF shipping
This gives US i total of more than ! 400
ships, with an approximate total dead |
weight tonnage Of 1000, 600 tons now
under the control OF the United states |
Shipping Board.
] LII
sources, We have added to the Amer |
lean flag since our war against Ger |
many began nearly $500 900 tons oi
shipping We are adding 10 tins ton
mage rapidly, and do not believe ! aln
overoptimistic in saying that our tom
mage output viii continue 10 increase
until before this year closes We Will he
turning out a half million tons each
month.
Our program calls for the building
of $50 passenger, cargo and refrIgera-
tor ships and tsnkers, ranging from
5000 To 1000 tons each, with an ug
gregate deadweight OF 1900 GOO tx
elusive OF these, We have 40 comman-
deered vessels, taken over from foreign
and domestic owners. winch are lt az /
completed by the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration These will aggregate a total |
deadWelgh; tonnage OF l,1l5.UtM
NEED 5000 o0J MORE
This makes q total OF :, l0l vessels, |
exclusive Of tugs and bargeS. which are |
being built and will he put on the seas
by tho Emergency Fleet Corporation ID
the course OF carrying out the present |
program, with an aggregate deadwe!ght /
tonnage o. l4715.00J
Five billion dollars Will be required /.
TO finish our program for 1918, 1919 and /
1920. but the expenditure OF this enor- /
nous sum will give 10 the American peo- |
pie the greatest merchant fleet ever as |
Semble1 IN the history OF the world ag-
grcgating - 000000 tons.
American workmen have made the /
expansion OF recent months possible, /
and they will make possible the success |
ful conclusion OF the whole program |
From all present expectations, it IS
likely that Toy 1920 We shall have close /
TO a million men working on American |
merchant ships and their equipment.
S19 sHIPwAYs N I. 5.
We have total Of Sl9 shipways IN
the nited States OF these a total Of /
1Jl, al of which except ninety. are /
completed are being utilized by the !
Emergency Fleet Corporation for the /
building Of American merchant ships
In 1919 the average tonnage Of steel,
wood and concrete ships continuously
building on each way should be about
q. 600 tons Il We are using Isl ways on
cargo ships and can average three ships
, vear per way we should turn out 10
one year l3.5l8. 900 tons.
The total gross revenue Of our feet /
Is very impressive. Prom the ships
under the control Of the Shipping board |
= totai gross revenue Is derived vi about /
$3.50 Op0HO