The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-07
Not Bothered About Types OF
Vessels But Busy With Bus
mess of Building Them
WOODEN SHIPS VIEWED
AS BEING USEFUL In
PRESENT EMERGENCY
Those Under Way Will Be
Useful After War Is Over in
Coastwise Trade With Mex
ico and South America

Washington, May A6,--Charles NJ.
Sehwsb. director general Of the Elmer
gency Fleet corporation, was back
on the job ~ Washington today as
happy an enthusiastic as a boy. Mr..
Schwarh is on the job all the time
since Id accepted the responsible post
In the government, but Washington
has seen and VIII sec but little of
him Ills Job is in the field, and to-
dag he told what his job is. He said
III is our Job to build the ships
called for by the government and
not TO tell the government what II
wants or what II shall have IN the
way Of tonnage
Wooden ShlpbuildiuE - part Of
the government program II Is not
for me to say whether this is - good
program ar whether the government
should build wooden ships, The
wooden ships are called for and they
VII I've built as fast rs they can ne
launched aud the ways cleared for
rev ships Ne haE~ recently let eou-
tracts fer G0p additional wooden ships
big and substantial ships o. large
tonnaee-and as lone as the present
emergency exists we VIII keep the
woodeu ship yards ~ the country GO
ing at fuii capacity
! ani glad to say that I think the
wooden ah3phuildinG program IS adj
ta4retiy suited Tor Tive present et0er-
efatN and w!N hc a great help To
ia coontrv. No nation or private
en5t-rrn, setting out upon q deliberate
ard stud ed nlsp of constructing ship
+ 3& weu1d in hay opinion. build the
wooden ships.
.aurh ships hosvefcr arr wrfl sptt
~ fnr coaettng fer trade with Mexico,
t@etra1 and south AWrrica and
NJ eutd i've good and useful lives tpr
ner}od Of tho war and after.
most important mfg under
-undftiuns. affcctins tho ul-
ss 8nd the world Is that these
ships. entering upon lanes of
which they are fitted. re-
larger and more efficient ships
r., Inc more important war duties
ri getting troops and supplies across
'he ocean
We, Of the Emergency Fleet FOR
rcration therefore. are heartily IN
accord with the wooden shiphuilding
program and viii build As many Of
this type OF ships. or OF any other
type. as the different departments of
rho government may call for, Tines"
departments, whatever thy are. VIII
make up their requests for ihc ton
mage and the type Of ships they want,
ard we will MI the orders That Is
cur job and all of our job
When 1T Is considered that Mr.
Sehwab. as a shipbuildcr for the GOV
eminent, has under way in his yards
naval vessels of all types OF mum
her sufficient 10 equip a nation as
tirst class naval power, 1t is easy to
understand that the type of the vcs-
sels he viii be called upon To build
even IL they range from monster
dreadnoughts to undersea cruisers
viii not give him pause or worry
Mr.. Schwah is Keen about estab-
fishing and keeping before he pub
lic' rivalry in ship production among
The many Yards OF the country and
weekly charts and figures an honor
roll in graduated black lines and Tx
ares--will be printed and distributed
We will Oh everything We can to
promote this friendly rivalry said
Mir. Schwah. "and reward good work
! have not decided upon any definite
plan, but undoubtedly We viii estah-
lish some system Of bonuses and other
rewards that viii be appreciated by
.he men who 10 he best work.
iterc is tho chart showing the pro-
tluction in each yard And here at
ar--is little Shiphulding company
tiown in Tampa with l35 per cent pro-
duction on its contracts. That little
company and its workers deserve rec
ignition and il can do nothing but
good 10 let their work he known to
=. he- country.-
We in Washington merely oil the
machinery. The men in the Yards
do the work The question of ship
production is a question Of the work
in the yards, The foreman of the
wards the foreman In charge of the
building of a ship. and the foremen
of the gangs engaged in work upon
that ship are the men who will turn
out the tonnage 1t will not he done
at Washington. And these msn are
The ones who should have the credit.
II hope that the public and the
rress will appreciate ;hc work of the
men in the yards. DO everything pos
sIbIe to encourage them, and give
them lust recognition for the work
they accomplish II Is the spirit Of
the country. II will build the ships.
s II will win the war.