Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-17
HOG ISLAND AIMS
AT WORLD TRADE
Peace Coal and War Ac-
complishments Announced
in Annual Report
SEVEN SHIPS in SERVICE
Gross Earnings of $685. ,228,
Forty Per Cent Increase,
Shown in Year

The great Hog Island shipyard OF
the American International Corporation
the largest in the world, will continue
to turn out fabricated steel vessels
which will carry the American flag to
all parts of the world in the after-the-
war race for world commerce.
Announcement to this effect Is con-
tanned in the corporations annual report
reviewing the Hog Island and other ac-
tivities OF the corporation in the last
year. 1t carries also the definite state
ment that the corporation, although pri-
marily formed for the extension and de-
velopment of foreign trade, will asso-
ciate itself hereafter more extensively
with domestic interests in order to en-
able the corporation to develop interna-
tional investment and trade forcefully.
This policy has been decided as re-
suit Of three years experience, the re-
: port says, and has been concurred in
by Charles A. steen, president; Frank A.
vanderlp chairman Of the board of
directors, and the other members of the
board.
OF the situation and accomplishments
at Hog Island the corporations report
says:
'The most important enterprise car
ried on by your corporation during the
year was the construction of ships for
the government by the American Inter-
national Shipbuilding Corporation at
Hog Island. The successful completion
OF this plant, the largest in the world,
IN phenomenally short space of time,
under weather and labor conditions here
tofore unknown, is an accomplishment
of which the stockholders. directors and
officers of the American International
Corporation and the organizations and
individuals associated with them may
well be proud.
Difficulties Cited
at was an undertaking of unprece-
dented difficulties and many well-n-
formed people considered 1t impossible
to construct and operate a plant fabri-
eating ships on the scale proposed. This
yard, however. was completed for oper-
ating purposes within twelve months
from the date the contract was signed
and by the end of the year three ships
had been delivered and accepted by the
government, ten were being outfitted in
the basin and fifty We're on the ways
many Of them nearly ready to be
launched.
an common with all other industries
operating under war conditions, Hog Is
land suffered Immediately after the sign
Ing of the armistice from difficulty in
obtaining labor. and production was con-
siderably reduced. At present conditions
are much improved and the desired rate
Of production is now being approached
Quantity production of fabricated
ships has been proved practical. The
~t~~1@
= adopted during the war as the only way
IN which vessels could be built in the
Wholesale quantities demanded are ap-
plicable in times of peace and will be
OF great Importance in reducing the cost
OF construction Of vessels in America.
Rating Is Highest
The ships built at Hog Island have re-
cefyed the highest rating both from
iaoyds and the American Bureau of Ship
ping. They are so well constructed in
. every respect that no difficulties or
delays of any kind have been incurred
IN the operation of any of them since
tneir delivery and operators, to whom
they have been assigned by the Elmer
gency Fleet Corporation. have expressed
great satisfaction and are asking for
more Of the same type They are per
FORMING admirably their service in carry-
ms hiueIican Boods 10 foreign ports and
nave fulfilled every expectation.
by early March seven ships had been
+ put IN service. The Quistconck, sailin o
from New Orleans, has passed Gibralter
en- route for Genoa with a misce]la neo,,e
cargo OF cotton. tobacco and metals
the Saccarappa has arrived at Rio De
Janeiro, Brazil, with coal; the Sacand-
asa, is carrying general merchandise IN
the west coast of South America the
sac City has reached Montevideo, Uru.
kuay, with coal; while the saguache
Panama Canal bound for Chile, The
Prusa and the sapinero have sailed from
Pniladeiphia with food for Europe"
The annual report of the American
4 International Corporation shows gross
earnings of s5,3ss,22S, an increase o,
$l,bS4,Sl3, or more than 40 per cent
over the preceding years report.