The sun., 1918-06-09
IN 5 MONTHS
BUILT 629 SHIPS
Merchant Fleet 100000
Tons Exclusive Of Craft in
Transport Service.
SECOND ONLY TO ENGLAND
Output in Thirty Days Exceeds
That Of First Year Of
- European War.
SECOND ONLY TO ENGLAND

WASHINGTON, June S.--The steady
growth OF the American merchant ma
rine In all CLASSES of vessels was re-
vealed to-day for the first time since
the war began in statistics from the
Department Of Commerce. showing that
in the hrst fve months of this year
there have been built in this country
and officially numbered by the bureau
OF navigation a total OF S29 vessels. OF
6s7.o55 gross tons.
The merchant heet OF the United
States now amounts to approximately
10000. 900 gross tons. not including mer-
chan, craft under control Of the army
and navy as transports and supply ships
At the beginning OF January 2s,7i2 ner-
chant vessels OF 9.343,2c+ gross tons
were hyinE the Stars and Stripes on
trips across the Atlantic with food and
munitions. into the Caribbean and
Pacific with American products for for
eign customers and on the lakes and
rivers Of this country as part OF the
nations domestic transportation system,
Great Record Made.
This tremendous feet is second only
to the merchant tonnage Of Great Britain.
II includes all the new vessels bull, under
the direction OF the Shipping Board and
thousands OF other ships, smaller in in
,dividual tonnage. but greater in aggre-
gate carrying capacity which play so
large a part in commerce and the main
tenance Of a favorable balance OF trade,
l.4s
law to register with the Bureau OF Nav
igation Of the Department OF Commerce
and to receive an official Identification
number before being permitted TO fly the
flag OF the United States. The number
is awarded when the finished ship is
measured for gross tonnage capacity,
which ia the content Of the ship In terms
OF 100 cubic feet and the internationally
accepted method OF expressing size.
The Shipping Board, building exclu-
sively cargo ships. has adopted dead
weight tonnage as the medium Of com
putting new tonnage. deadweight capac-
! ity being the actual weight Of cargo and
bunker coal which can be carried.
How to Judss1Tsn~ase.
The deadweight tonnage of a cargo
ship is about 80 per cent greater than
its gross tonnage. but in passenger
vessel Is less, because the space is occu-
/ pied by passenger accommodations. The
former German liner Vaterland, now the
! Leviathian; has a gross tonnage OF a.
! 900. but deadweight capacity OF only
about 5000 tong, which illustrates why
In dealing with all types Of ships gross
| tonnage. or the actual size regardless
of the space allotted to cargo. has been
chosen internationally as more truly In.
dicative Of the size OF feet.
There has been steady increase In
new ships this year. the May tonnage
being three times ~ great as the Jan,
uary output, In tho hrst month OF 1915
there were fifty-seven ships OF 4.75s
tons given official numbers. In Febru
ary eighty four ships Of ll7.S0l Eros.
tons were numbered. March saw nota
BILE jump In the production Of email
ships. numbers being awarded to 1875
the tonnage being 1+7.l%5. TIE record
In April was 1876 ships OF 16S.o50 tons
and In May 1875 ships Of ls%.%s5 tons.
|, In a single month this year the Amer
lean merchant fleet has seen growth
almost as great ~ during the enti',
nrst year Of the 3 European war;