New-York tribune., 1918-11-16
HurleyGoing to Europe
70 Have Is German
Liners Turned Over
to United States
Building Plans
Not to Slackel1
Ships Bringing Troops
Across Will Return
With Food Needed
by Our Enemies

lust as soon as the formalities in
solyed In taking over fifteen great Ger
nan passenger ships can be completed
the return of American soldiers abroad
NAV be started at the rate Of 100000
month 1t is estimated that not
more than eight months will be re-
oursd to bring back the entire exped;-
,eusry force II this rate can be main
tainsd.
This estimate, however. involves only
The solution Of the transport problem,
according to Z. n Hurley, chairman Of
The United States Shipping Board, who
is making a personal study Of the
means OF getting General Pershings
men home as rapidly as they were sent
abroad. Whether it will be deemed ad-
vsable to bring the men back at that
ra.e is question that must be passed
upon by the War Department.
Mr.. Hurley will sail to-day on the
olympic for France to take up the
question of acquiring German and Aus
lrian ships Immediately for the double
purpose of rationing the Central
Powers and bringing home the nations
fighting men.
To Answer Food Pleas
incidentally, Germany will be given
decided reply to the pleas Of its
women concerning the food problem
when Mr.. Hurley and Mr.. Hoover, who
vii sail with him, arrive in France.
They will be told that just as soon as
'ae fifteen great passenger ships now
wing in the harbors of Bremen and
hamburg, together with an almost
Hual number of Austrian ships, are
''ued over to the Allies supplies of
ssod will be started for the hungry
lsatcns in them.
On the eve of his departure Mr.. Hur-
ley discussed the ship question in de-
tail. He disclosed the fact that the
problems involved in the rationing of
TIE former enemies Of the Allies and
The returning of the 100000 Ameri-
cans now on what were the firing lines
out few days ago will be solved to-
gether.
The German and Austrian ships to
as taken over will be used, under the
project under discussion by Shipping
beard officials, to carry soldiers on
heir westward voyages and food on
Weir return. In this way it will be
possible for England to make use Of
'as seven big passenger ships loaned
70 the United States during the war to
return Canadian and Australian SOL
ders.
Those ships were loaned to US at a
ame when there was an urgent demand
ior man power in France" said Mr..
hurley. "But we could scarcely ex-
psct England to permit US to retain
mem when their own fighters, Cana
aians and Australians chiefly, have
0seh over so much longer than our
aen. They doubtless want to get home
a hurry, and VIC can't blame them"
Want Ships at Once
AS soon as Mr. Hurley and Mr.,
mower reach France they will go into
eoa'erence with the Allied Maritime
transport Council, and if the German
salps now at Hamburg and Bremen
ave not yet been taken over they
s'ii ask that they be demanded at once.
'aee German food will be delivered
'a'te rapidly IL the ships arc immedi~
sW's forthcoming, it is not expected
ua' there will be any difficulty in OBJ
S'aing them. Each Of the ships will
.s''y maximum of $1,000 men. BY
e'f use alone it will be possible to
s'am an average of 100000 men each
~ oays--or as rapidly as they were
nsd across to France when the de-
,sa Tor them was greatest.
ne head Of the shipping board def
SV announced that all of the ship
as yards in the country would con-
..a. aas working at capacity until ships
oeen turned out in sufficient num-
=" handle the normal peace time
'nsss Of the world. The advent of
% he said, instead Of decreasing
demand for ships made them an
''s'asive necessity.
twenty Million Tons Deficit
!. Assesding to figures given out by
as... hurley, there now 10 a deficit of
a. a'.ss'oo deadwcight tons for the en-
NV a.s world. This tonnage, he said, rep
s,a asa's eigh. times the total of sea-
s,.. sss.as ship construction in the United
,s,s during the calendar year Of
~. ihis is true in spite of the fact
- 'H'p production aero in 1917 was
continued ON page four