The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-11
TRUCE WILL DEPRIVE
US. OF MANY SHIPS
Vessels Requisitioned From
Dutch and Chartered Must
Be Returned.
RUSHING NEW TONNAGE
Construction in the American
Yards Exceeds That Of
Great Britain.
s,.cia, Dsspotch to THE suS.


wAsutsaroS. Nov. 10.-One Of the
most far REACHING effects on the uniteo
States Of the signing Of the truce that
will permanently end hostiiities !"
Europe will be the resulting loss III
available ship tonnage that VIII como
almost Immediately. =
During the war this country mas en-
joyed the use of British, French pu.c"'
Swedish, Norwegian and Danish shlps'
secured by requisition and charter WIN
tho seas freed Of the menace OF war II
is expected that, these ships VIII DC I'M
mediately withdrawn, leaving the Initeo
States upon its own ship resources Inc
tonnage lost in this way includes many
Of the largest passenger ana 1reisht
steamships, all of which are in the trans
atlantic service. This makes the snip
building programme of increasing I'M
portaHce. ,,trv
The Shipping board IS operating
eighty-two Dutch ships aggregatlhs eo;
945 lightweight tons. These were al
accustomed in American haroors wneIe
! thew had been held when this country
! antnrad the war because they were
| loaded with cargoes that could not pc
released.t
Hos shtDs OF Many Neutrals,
In addition the board has under cnar-
| ter 2gI ships OF 1.2US,44O deadweishl
| tons that are owned mostly by buro-
| mean neutrals. including Scanoina' l'li'
! countries. The charters. lin severai IN
| stances, were made on reciprocal aRree
ment for the furnishing OF foodstuils anu
! raw materials. -o7
There are 600 foreign ships OF l.lo.'-
| 900 -deadweiEilt tolts under charter 10
| American citizens. operated BY inc
| Shipping Board.
| No Official statement as TO the erect
! tho signing Of an armistice Will nave
on the Shipping Board and private omar
ters or on the status of the requisl-
toned Dutch ships has been made. IL
is learned on good authority howeNe,'
that their withdrawal Is possible .housh
1 new negotiations may be uhoerlahe"'
! In addition to all OF this tonnage. the
status OF which will be affected by an
arnistice. there are many Dig, ias'
| british ships In the American transport
, service. The number and tonnage nave
never been made public and Will not De
hecause they are In the transport SER
vice, but i, is admittedly large. Ihese
ships are certain to be Withdrawn os
the British Government as soon as IN.
necessity for rushing american moopT
TO E,urope is at an end. Great Britai
viii need them. It Is pointed out &c
transport her colonial troops home whet
the war ends
Weeds N4w, American ships.
Withdrawal OF all or even portion Of
this foreign tonnage will leave dig gal
In American ship availability. that car
on,v he Allied through rapid construc
ton In American shipyards. AT presen
this construction Is at the rate OF more
than 100000 tons a month and increas
ing. ...-.,-.
The Shipping Board has in operatioi
100 former German and Austrian snip
with an aggregate tonnage of 64i,1l;
tons These ships, including several biz
messenger liners, among them the Amer
lea, the biggest ship afoat, will be avail
able for use at least until the peace con
ference determines what disposition Il
TO be made OF them.
Officials here who have given careful
study to the situation noint out ther'
can be no let up In Che shipbuilding pro
gramme, which calls for the consiruc
ton of 1888 ships. Of more than 5000,
600 lightweight tons. Contracts for tn
I
been let In most instances
Total L. 3. Tonnage 10 8,SS3,o6O.
Even II the services OF all OF the for
elGn ships are lost. this nation will have
available upward OF 1900 ships. with ar
aggregate tonnage of 6,SS3,160.
The shipping situation summed NJ
shows there are within the jurisdiction
Of the Shipping Board something ovel
}, 2.400 seagoing vessels, totalling 1926,
9l5 lightweight tons.
OF these upward OF 1900, totallini
: 73S0.405, fly the American nag. Unde
charter TO tho Shipping Board ant
American citizens are se1 foreign yes
sells Of 2,9l5.51O tons. not including thu
large number OF British vessels in trans
port service. At the time this countr,
, entered the war our merchant marine
; was less than 100000 tons
, To-day the American merchant ma
rine is expanding more rapidly than an,
in the world, not excepting Great Brit
: ain, which formerly led the world ii
\shipbulding. -