The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-06-11
100000 TONS
OF SHIPS IN 1920
Hurley Says U. S. Will Have
Greatest Merchant Marine
-
Within IL Months s
OUTPUT THIS YEAR
WILL BREAK RECORD

Amazing Figures Cited in Speech Be-
fore the Graduating Glass at Notre
Dame-Cost will Be Five Billion Dol
lars, it is Estimated.
SOUTH BEND, Ind, June ll.-Amer-
lea in 1920 will have a merchant marine
of 25,OO0,0O0 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 university
This great commerce fleet, Mr. Hurley
said, the largest ever assembled in the
history of the. world, and involving the
expenditure of more than $5,OO0,OOO,OOO.
will link the United States to South and
Central America by weekly steamer serv-
ice which will enable the Latin American
countries to utilize their unlimited nat-
ural resources in the freest competition
with other nations.
1t also will bridge the Pacific for the
transportation of the products of Japan,
Russia, China, Australian 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 lib
erty and justice which brought about the
establishment of this republic.
'The vast merchant fleet we are build
ing" said Mr.. Hurley, must become the
greatest instrument of international
probity, honesty and square dealing at
the close of the war. 1t must become
the vast and vital machine whereby
America will prevent the oppression Of
the weak by the strong; the crushing of
right by might"
Mr.. Hurley said he and Director Gen
eral Schwab of the emergency fleet cor
poration,, expected the shipping output
| this year to exceed 100000 dead weight
tons, while next year the nations ire
mendous new shipbuilding industry will
be capable of turning out l3,5lS,OOO dead
weight tons, more than Great Britain.
heretofore the greatest builder of ships.
has completed in any five years of her
history. \. -
| s1t was before the formation of the
present shipping board" Mr.. Hurley con-
tinued, 'fhat Secretary McAdoo insisted
that our pioneering upon the seas must
in the future be done by an interest hav-
| ing boundless resources, an interest that
has single purpose-the general welfare
of the United States, as whole. OBJ
vions1y there is but one such interest and
that is the government of the United
1 States.
''On the first of June we had increased
the American-built tonnage to over
3.50O,00O dead weight tons of shipping
This gives us total of more than ,40C
ships, with an approximate total dead
weight tonnage of 100000 tons now
under the control of the United States
shipping board.
4 'sIn round numbers, and from al
sources, we have added to the American
flag since our war against Germany be
gan, nearly 100000 tons of shipping
We afe adding to this tonnage rapidly
and do not believe | am -optimisti,
in saying that our tonnage output viii
continue to increase until before thii
I year closes we will be turning out hal
million tons each month"
Mr.. Hurley continued:
@Our program for the building of l85l
passenger, cargo, refrigerator ships ans
tankers,. ranging from 5000 to l200'
tons each, with an aggregate deadweigh
tonnage of 1890 0000 Exclusive o
these we have 245 Communicated .ses
sells, taken from foreign and domesti
owners, which are being completed b.
!, the emergency feet corporation. Thes
will aggregate total lightweight ton
mage of l,7l5,00O.
"This makes a total of 2,l0l vessels
exclusive of tugs and barges, which ar
being built and will be put on the sea
lby the emergency fleet corporation in tn
course of carrying out the present pro
gram with an aggregate lightweight ton
mage of l4,7l5,000.'
49,