Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
NATIONS SHIP PROBLEM

Washington, Jan. 22.-Ships will win
the war. This was the word brought
to the United States by the French and
British missions shortly after the
United States joined the allied nations
in the struggle for world democracy.
II ships will win the war. the United
States will provide them, was the
promise made by President Wilson to
the French and British and that prom
Use is being kept. Enough has already
been done to insure the success of
Americas gigantic shipbuilding pro-
gram.
Under the direction Of the United
States shipping board the work of
providing the vessels that will carry
an abundance of supplies and war ma
terial to the battle zone is progressing
satisfactorily. This has been dem
onstrated by the senatorial inquiry
into the activities of the shipping
board.
Chairman Hurley and his associates
are gradually meeting the stupendous
demands made upon them. Never be-
fore in the worlds history has such a
task been attempted. It's accomplish
ment would have been declared impos-
sible in any other age or in any other
land. The great strides already made
by the administration in assembling
what is destined to be the greatest
merchant armada ever constructed
was pleasing revelation even to crit
ical senator's
Great Sum Available.
Congress placed at the disposal OF
the president through the shipping
board an authorization of $1,9S9,6 T.
500 for the acquisition of merchant
vessels. Of this sum $1,090,617 500
has already been appropriated. Under
this authorization the United States
Emergency Fleet corporation, which
is the construction agency of the
shipping board, has placed contracts
for the construction of 996 vessels
with a total dead weight capacity o.
SSH, 100 tons.
In addition, the shipping board ha:
Communicated 431 ships Of all types
with a total dead weight capacity o
3,056,000 tons. All vessels of the lat
ter class were either in the course o
construction for domestic or foreign
account, or had been contracted for t.
be constructed in American yards a
the time of the issuance of the com
mandeer order Of Aug. last. BY thu
act of communicating, the Emergenc,
Fleet corporation assumed the con
tract for these ships and is having
them completed with all possibl
speed.
At the present time 40 of these ships
aggregating 300,865 tons dead weigh
capacity, have already been complet
ed and released. This gives total o
1927 vessels with a total dead weigh
capacity of S,573,10S tons actually un
der construction or contracted for. l.
addition, contracts are pending be
fore the Emergency Fleet corporation
for vessels aggregating 100000 ton
dead weight capacity.
The total building program of tn
Emergency Fleet corporation. includ
ing ships Communicated in the cOurs
of construction and those contracte
for and to be contracted for, will eS
coed 100000 tons. OF this amour
III Is pIOpOSCu app
100000 tons shall be constructed dun
ing the calendar year 1918. The re
mainder of the construction program
will run we'll into the year 1919.
Million Tons in 1918.
OF the total of 996 ships which hav
4 been contracted for by the Emergenc
} Fleet corporation and which does nj
include the 431 Communicated ship
379 ships, with total dead weight c;
pacity of 1,344,900, are wooden ve'
sells; 5S, with a total dead weight C;
pacity of 207 900 tons, are compost
y and SIS, with a total dead weight C;
pacity of 1927 400 tons, are steel.
y the ships Communicated and buildir
under contract with the feet corpOr;
ton, approximately 100000 tons wi
be completed and ready for release
April l, 1918.
In addition to vessels commando