The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-27

I <Ahitl ia. c Hdu 10 loCdIe on Waste
ground many new shipyards IL we
were to meet the need for construct
ing new ships This was the first,
and the biggest part of the pob that
faced us. 1t is easy to build ships
II you can got to a trained shipbuild-
er, who has a well-established yard,
with an experienced force Of riveters,
carpenters and caulkers, and place an
order with him. There was no yard
to which we could 60. We had to
establish the yards first, get the
shiphuilders to take, charge of them,
and train the men TO build the ships.
There were thirty-seven steel ship
yards in America at the time OF our
entrance into war. We have located
leighty-one additional steel and wood
yards, while eighteen other yards
nave been expanded. Does America
realize what this job means? Does 1t
realize what tribute is paid to its
own Initiative in this achievement?
we are building IN the new and ex.
banded steel yards 235 new steel ship
| ways, or twenty-siX more than at
present exist in all OF the steel ship
yards OF England. II we. had been
content with doing the job in a small
way. we might have built a few new
yards, and added a little to our ca.
pacity.. A.ew ships might have been
finished more quickly: but II was the
spirit and will OF America 10 do the
job in big way, and the Judgment Of
the country will be vindicated by the
results when all these new ways are
completed and are turning out ships.
| Many OF these ways have actually
; been finished. The new industry we
have created will make America the
\ greatest maritime nation in the his.
! tory OF the world.
! at took Germany forty years TO
build UP her military machine. In
1 less than eight months we have built
up a shipbuilding machine, which,
| when IL gets into. full swing, will de-
I feat the military machine Of Ger.
many.
"The American Government, backed
by the American people, has under
taken far mightier job, and will pat
II through.
THE total amount OF our steel con-
struction on March l was s,205, I0s
deadweight tons. This is made up Of
5,160. 800 lightweight tons under con-
tract with the Emergency Fleet Cor
I Doratlon. and 3.045, 40S lightweight
tons OF requisition vessels.
"ot this total steel construction.
2,12l-56S lightweight tons. or approx
mately IS per cent, has been coNpie-
I NVA" UNI Nlt0l duuillpu ~
the building OF our big new yards we
have also been building ships. That
is, the program for steel ships has
advanced % per cent toward compile
ton, or the amount OF steel ships
under contract and under requisition,
655.456 lightweight tons, or approx
mately s per cent, were actually COM
pleted and in service on March 1 Of
this year. nearly month ago. This
amount Of floating tonnage exceeds
our total output in 1916, including
steel. wooden and sailing vessels, by
approximately so per cent.
| ''In the yards which we have al.
ready completed and those which are
nearing completion the progress will
be cumulative from this time on.
Thus while we have heeu building
the yards and training the new forces
necessary TO construction, we have
also been building the ships.
Our program for building wooden
ships has been beset with many diff
ficulties and handicaps which could
not well be foreseeu. A year ago,
wooden shipbuildinS In the United
states was almost a lost art We
found twenty-four old wooden chip
yards, with seventy-three chip ways
The capacity for wooden shipbuildIng
H'e SNNh lASIOaGIN unIll we no" nave
eishty-one wooden shipbuildinE yards,
with $50 ways completed or nearing
completion.
Some Late Figures.
Assuming that these ways will each
produce two standard ships per year we
should turn out about 100000 dead
weight tons Of wooden ships annually.
These So wooden shipbuilding ways, now
~nTTnr1lffA1 al .1
steel building ways. will give us a total
Of 80 berths upon which to build steel
and wooden vessels. When you con-
slider that We had only l62 steel build
ing ways few months ago and q
wooden shipbuilding ways--a total OF aJ5
IN Increase is shown OF l95 wooden
and steel berthS on which we can build
ships.
with our total Of ~ wood and steel
ways, We will have 5Zi more berths than
Sir Eric Gcddes in h.s recent speech
stated England has at the present time
The proposal to build ships Of con-
crete was first regarded as a fascinating
absurdity. On March Il there was
launched from the yards Of the San
FRANCISCO company the first concrete
steamship. vessel which the builders
christened Faith. We hone she will ex-
empltfy her name. The builders believe
sue Will Tor IN the telegram announcing
the successful launching Of the vesse,
were added these words: appearance
after launching warrants US in saying |
to you that we believe this form of con |
struction may be safely depended upon
LabOr-StronE Right Arm.
Now az to lsbor--Our strong riSht /
arm! There has been much talk OF
conscripting labor, OF forcing IL int /
shipyards as our soldiers have been ,
brought into the camps. I am fully .
aware that ! am flying in the face OF I
growing popular sentiment that !
men should be drafted into the indus
try which support the battle lines, but ,
l wish to put myself on record as
being opposed TO the conscription Of |
labor ! do not believe conservation
necessary. for ! believe labor itself |
will produce conditions which viii
render idle all thought OF conscript.
ing worlmen. The vast majority Of .
our workmen are men Of intelligence,
and when they come 10 a full realiza- /
tion OF the fact that any detection on
their part now will not only imperii J
the nation, but will injure their fell
low workers in almost every field of
industrial activity. feel sure they
VIII respond 10 all demands made