The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-12-25
GROWTH OF r~ -, - ~o
. ~. S. SHIPPING
Only Exceeded in Tonnage by
That Of Great Britain

washington, Dec. l3.-With com.
p'efion OF the government shipbuiid-
ing program by 1922, the United
! States probably will have as much
ocean going tonnage as all the other
countries com bincd, with the excep-
! ton OF Great Britain, Chairman Ben
son OF the Shipping board declared in
| his annual report made public to day
AT the end OF the last fiscal year
the Chairman said American mer-
| chant ships government and private
| owned. numbered 3.40A, Of l6,9lS,2l2
dea adweight tons, not including moro
than 1000, 600 tons Of shipping on the
Great Lakes. The net program Of
government owned ships, Admiral
BENSON said, contemplated 2,3l6 yes.
sells OF la.675.7l1 deadweight tons ana
at the end OF the Last ascal year, a.
07o ships agGregatins ll.82a,36l
deadweight tons. had been completed.
During the year 1,i80 finished ships
OF a379,$s3 deadweisht tons were de-
tvered, exceeding all records. They
were built without overtime or other
aids 70 rapid production. Admiral
said. ''. .'f ..>.:..'.. y <+r
T. ~
ted States has developed an expert
ness which has raised the efficiency
Of the various crafts to a high plane
and production has Kept pace accord
tngly," Admiral Benson said. The
industry has expanded $4,000 skilled
mechanics TO a force OF $4,000 men
available to the private shipyards.
he added.
The credit for the accomplishment
Of the aims OF the Emergency Fleet
Cooperation, is therefore due TO these
men who have surpassed all previous
performances IN the shipbuilding Of
the wprld.", he. said. ~, 49,, =
American VESSELS are now sailing in
a2S sepatate services. They carried
44.6 per cent OF the nations foreign
commerce last year as compared with
81 per cent before the war. the re-
pott ntd. .3.-
\, The government fleet in operation
June 90 consisted OF l,2e4 steel vessels
plytpx to all quarters OF The globe, ia
cludins sos 70 Northern Europe and
lR8 to Southern Europe. In the
ttanS-Pactdc service there were 16S
rezgels and in the South American,
lss. 80
Fc1<y-one direct service lines have
been established TO South and Central
AmeriesA from nine ports on the At
lanrfc coast, four on the Gulf and two
On the FRci0c coast, the report said.
To cope with the formidable prob
lenls overseas. Admiral Benson said
the European organization OF the
shipping Board with headquarters In
London was established in June,
1913. Prior to it's creation board YES
sells In European ports had been at
tended entirely by the agents Of the
rnaraXing cornpa niles. the report said,
wEom "ssther through inefflciency. in.
duerence or dishonesty. allowed
American ships to be mishandled ana
subjected to delays and exhorbitant
charses.~ r. 81. ..,.t.. ...
s The new organization, through Its
control over, movements, charter, car.
gpes. ounkers, supplies, repairs asaa
similar matters. the report explained,
has reduced the average turn around
Gf bosrd vessels from 2s,< days for
;orent nrirain and 10 days for the Com
Gneht In SeltterhDer; 1910, to. 1e.5
days for Great Britain and 1l.a days
for tts Continent in May, 1890. Costs
also have been materially reduced.
Chair man Benson added. : - '.
=; The beard sofa during the year 426
'sh}ns for total OF as79,sl4,8SA, in
clueing 1871, new steel cargo vessels
- new wooden ships and s3 former
German cargo ships. 49,. - 4.
Discussing the wooden feet, Chair.
enan Benson safd the maximum mum.
ber in operation was a40 during
April In June there were 40 at
w0vk.., ., -. g..
D~mand for tanker . tonnage in
creased during the year. The chair
man declared the boards ships were
In constant, sefvtce. chiefly between
Mexican ana American Gulf ports,
ana North Atlantic ports and Ameri-
can oty sta tions at st. Thomas, Virgin
Islands. Brcst and Bixerta On the
Pafife the lines run between San
Francisco and American foreign STA
tions at Honolulu, Manila and Shan
ghaJ. .GOvernment tank stea mers ear
ried a.e41.8ea tons OF OF during the
year. .",E.stt".~. ..'..
Nearly jali seized German cargo
craft have becn sold or chartered with
option to PURCHASE, while all but IL
Of the German PASSENGER ships had
been disposed OF during the year, the
report said. No disposition has been
made. however. OF the one Austrian
vessel, the Martha Washington.
The Chairman urged that congress
htrovide' machinery to adjutiicate