Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-22
WANTED: A NEW USE FOR
WORLDS EIGHTH WONDER
Hog island. Which Might Be Made One
Of the Greatest Marine Terminals In
Existence, May Vanish In Year

! DEOGbE VINO go only lar CHOuBn W sea
to bathe used to be the most enthu-
siastic critics of Hog Island.
They knew!
You could take it from them that ships
built, so to speak, in flash could never
be any good.
Yet the other day they tied down all
the big and little whistles at the vast
shipyard after some one high up on the
ways happened to look outward at the
| river. There were three vessels, almost
liner-size, in stately procession, deep in
the water with heavy cargoes, making
for the sea. A year ago they were blue
prints at Hog Island.
One was the Salvation Lass, named in
honor of obscure workers in France who
knew how to triumph in humility. An
other was the Nedmdc. That is the name
of Camden, spelled backward. The third
was the Casper. All three dipped their
flags to the cradles that they left only
few months ago and made down the river
as gravely as men-o'-war
Thirty Eight ships of the forty-nine
launched since last August are now out
upon the seven seas. They didn't exist
year ago. Yet they have travelled over
25O,OO0 nautical miles. They stood the
mauling of a North sea winter. And
| they have already transported approx
mately 425,000 tons of American prod
ucts to all the important ports of the
world None of them failed to function
| perfectly. The vessels launched more
recently are now being fitted out. Each
| shin carries the name of Philadelphia, her
home port, on her stern.
! Sixteen of the Hog Island vessels now
at sea-ships that existed year ago only
| in the minds of American engineers
have already carried more than 10000
tons of American cargo to Europe. More
| significant were the three vessels that
went down the river in row. Their
clearance papers showed that they were
taking American goods to various South
American ports-to markets which, once
virtually closed to US, now offer immeas-
urable opportunities to Americans who
know how to deal ably, intelligently and
without delay with new situation.
Aladdin could have done better than
the men who made Hog Island. No one
else could.
About September, 1920, the contracts
existing between the builders and the
government will be terminated The
future Of Hog Island is uncertain, though
now the yards employ about thirty thou
sand workers and have a payroll of
| million dollars a week.
We have the eighth wonder of the
world on our hands. So far no one seems
| 60 10
1t ought not to be hard to find solu-
ton in the odd dilemma. New trade
routes, new markets, revision of the
whole system of international commerce,
an almost Iimitless demand for manu-
factured and raw materials available in
America, new industrial relationships and
broader understanding in America of
the possibilities of foreign trade are in
certain prospect.
There is, moreover, the vast and unde-
veloped market of LatinAmerica, which
will continue to absorb American manu-
factures if our diplomacy in Mexico or
the clamor of reckless and self-interested
iingoes do not revive the distrust that a
few wears ago stood in the way of Ameri-
can business and caused most of the
southern republics to turn to Germany or
other European countries for sympathy
and trade relationships. There is certain
to be an extraordinary development of
shipping as an American industry of the
first class within the next ten years. And
Hog Island, as it stands, is a complete
groundwork for one of the greatest
marine terminals in the world.
Storage warehouses, repair and build
ing yards, drydocks and rail terminals
are related facilities in the shipping in
dustry, but they are rarely organized in
one vast unit, as they might be organ
lied at Hog Island.
In New York and elsewhere such facili-
ties are scattered haphazard in various
parts of the harbors. In New York at
this moment one hundred and fifty ships
are waiting turns in the drydocks. Many
of them will have to wait for months.
In the port of Philadelphia there are
only two drydocks aside from those
which the government controls at the
navy ward and at Hog Island. One small
dock is at Mifflin street. A large one is
at Cramps. The great drydocks at Hog
Island would be of immense importance
in an eIaborately organized shipping
terminal. They would have the force OF
a magnet on shipping generally.
When the government is ready to re-
linauish its interest in Hog Island the
property will be sold to the highest bid
der. The great shipyard and its related
industries have started new developing
movement in South Philadelphia and thu
nearby regions. The people of this city
can afford now to do little serious think
ing about the ultimate fate, of the grea
, yards.
1t is conceivable that the property ma!
vet be controlled by outside capital di
. rected not with view to the larger de
, yelopment of shipping in Philadelphia
but to maintain the prestige of othe