The Sentinel=record., 1918-02-06

Washington, Feb. 5.-Pres dent Will son took up personally the shipping problem tonight at a conference with Chairman Hurley of the shipping board and went into the problem of procuring tonnage for removal of the American troops and supplies over seas.
 Every phase of the question was discussed, including the progress of the government building program, plans for obtaining allied ships for transporting soldiers and negotiations with the European neutrals for ton mage to release American vessels for trans Atlantic service The president was particularly interested in the proposal to obtain additional ships by reducing imports probably one half.
 A full realization of the extent to which America troop movement to France depends on tonnage and it was said today that one of the chief topics at the recent session of the supreme war council at Versailles was that of finding ships for that purpose. A large American army is subs antially ready to go but before it is sent the war department wants to be assured it can be supplied. Ships are avail able to transport the men, the prob- lem will be,o keep them furnished with materials with which to fight.
 A million men on the fighting line will require according to best esti- mates available, from four to seven million tons of shipping in continuous service across the 5000 miles of wa. CT between America and Europe The United States can lay it's hands on about four million tons now and ex- poets to build durns the year from three to six million tons more.
 While Chairman Hurley was pre- pairing for the pres.;ent a complete report on the shipping situation, Civil Engineer Frederick R. Harris, of the naval bureau of yards and docks. who for three weeks was general manager of the emergency fleet corporation, was giving senate Investigating committee an optimistic version of ship building progress. It is possible. Mr Harris said, fo, the government to complete this year its original con- struction program of six million tons. The president was told by Mir. Hur- ley thal bad weather in January cut production of communicated ships 1 fully sixty per cent. The shipping boards plans for building up a great ship yard workers reserve and for 1 speeding up work of ship yard labor at present engaged were outlined Recruiting for the reserve is pro gressing well and speakers are vis- iting the yards to appeal to the men l to do their best as a patriotic duty. The plan to cut irS,orts from South | America and the Orient to release ships for transporting troops and sup plies has been worked out by the | shipping board The class of i'm l ports to be reduced will be left large l ly to the war trade board which is in control of imports and exports The
 shipping board will advise the trade board as 10 the number of neutral | vessels and American and French sail
 ing ships possible to pue into tine
 trade and the trade board will deter
 mine what they shall carry.
 There has been no announcement a,
 to the amount of tonnage the allies ar'
 ready 10 spare for moving the Ameri-
 can forces and their supplies.
 1 The Versailles w~r council took ul the subject of what shall be the bal
 ance maintained as petween the ship
 ment of troops and their supplies ans
 'he transportation of goods needed ,b, the allied armies and the European
 civilian populations. Reports [, Washington indicate that the polio , will be to employ as much tonnage il he movement of the American force lana materials for their use as can b