Evening journal., 1919-01-24
5,O54,O5O TONS OF
U. S. SHIPS built
Piez Report Shows Work q
Emergency Corpora
tion in 1918
REPLIES TO
ALL CRITICISMS

WASHINGTON. Jan 24-Charles Piei
Director-General OF the Emergency Flee
Corporation, presented figures to tn
Foreign Commerce Committee Of tn
Senate, showing that the actual shil
construction in the United States 10
the calendar year 1918, totalIed 5,O54,05
deadweight tons, just 945,0i5 tons les
than the optimistic goal set by Chalt
man Hurley at the beginning Of th
year.
These figures, Mr.. Piez explained, dt
not represent deliveries. but the total q
ship construction including work don
on incompleted vessels. He said Chair
man Hurley's statement of 100000 ton
for the year was not an estimate Q
accomplishment, but the goal the ship
building organization hoped to reach.
Director-General Piez appeared In ma
swer to a resolution by Senator Nelson
AT the same time he replied to news
paper statements attacking the progress
Of the Shipping Board. In a form5
statement he reviewed completely thl
accomplishments of the Emergenci
Fleet figures on construction up TO De
cember 81 The published statement
were cited In the Nelson resolution an
were printed several weeks ago.
In reply to the statement that not
single troopship had been turned ou
on Shipping Board order Mr.. Piez sal
that troopships were not contemplate
in the original building program, be
cause the War Department was Of opin
ion that there was sufficient availabI
tonnage with German and British pas
senger ships. 1t was not until the sprin
Of last year, he said, that the War De
called for troopships and tina
contracts were then Immediately LEI
but they had to be placed in new
yards, because the old yards were ful
with orders.
Mr.. Piez gave the actual output o.
vessels for the year in the followinl
lgures; Four hundred and ten stee
gessels Of 2,570,000 deadweight tons, II
ships Of 1850 tons. t06 wood
N ships Of $4,000 tons, total Of 52l
lessels Of 2.983,977 tons. In addition
"a ships contracted for in JAPANESE
yards were delivered with an aggregate
onnage Of 1866 deadweight tons
making a grand total OF $40 ships o.
'.iO3.6s3 tons.
"The deliveries" Mr.. Piez said, cart
lot a fair measure Of the years worl
u the corporation. The early month";
Il the corporations activities were de
-oted largely to shipyard construction
nd the year 1917 ended with deliveriei
4 40 vessels Of 30i. 800 deadweighl
ons, 81 vessels Of 403,5O2 deadweighl
ons had been launched and not deliv'
red; 39i keels Of vessels having i,908f
35 deadweight tons were laid. Little
r no work. however, was done beyond
he actual laying Of keels Neither had
essels that were launched reached the
anne stage Of completion as the ves'
els now IN the water. It was but fail
D determining the actual accomplish
lent Of the Emergency Fleet Corpora.
lon for the year 1918 10 ascertain moi
nly the deliveries for 1917 but an In
entory Of the progress Of work undei
,ay but not yet delivered expressed 10
srms Of the completed ship"
Mr.. Piez attacked frequent statement
lat most deliveries were requisitionee
hips, and called attention TO the fac
lat many Of the ships requisitioned
'ere in the early stages OF constructor
nd had to be completed by the fleel
DrporatIon representing real eonstruc
on.