Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-14
Annual Report
OF Benson Shows
l,lS0 Ships Built
Shipping Board Chairman De-
clares by 1922 U. S. Will
Have as Much Tonnage
As All Other Countries.

Washington, Dec. l3.--With COM
nletion of the government ship
building program by 1922, the
United Stakes probably will have as
mnch ocean-going tonnage as all the
other countries combined, with the
exception of Great Britain, Chairman
Benson of the shipping board de-
eiared in his annual report, made
public Yesterday.
At the end OF the last fiscal year
the chairman said, American mer-
chant ships, government and private
owned, numbered 3,404, ofpl69l8,2l2
deadweight tons, not including more
than 1000 600 tons of shipping on
the Great Lakes. The net program
of government t-owned ships, Admiral
Benson said. contemplated ISIS YES
sells of l3,67s,7ll deadweieht tons,
and at the end of the last fiscal year
2,070 ships aggreaating ll,622,36l
deadweight tons had been COM
pleted.
ships OF 6.379.823 deadweight tons
were delivered. exceeding all rec
crds. They were built without over
time or other aids to rapid produc-
tion, Admiral Benson said.
22o Services Represented.
American vessels are now sailing
in 22o separate services. They car
ried AS per cent Of the nations for
cign commerce last year as COM
rared with 81 per cent before the
war. the report said.
The government feet in operation
June 80 consisted of 1924 steel YES
SETS plying to all quarters of the
globe. including sos to northern Eu-
rope and l26 to southern Europe. In
the transpaci6c service there were
l63 vessels and in the South Amer
ican 1873.
Forty-one direct service lines have
been established to South and Cen
tral America from nine ports on the
Atlantic coast, four on the gulf and
two on the Pacfc coast, the report
said.
Sold 426 Ships in Year.
The board sold during the year 426
ships for a total of $27o, l4,594, in |
cluding l3l new steel. cargo vessels,
"a new wooden ships and 50 former
German cargo ships.
Discussing the wooden fleet, Chair
man Benson said the maximum num- !
Der in operation was 240 during
April. "A June there were l70 at
work.
Demand for tanker tonnage in
creased during the year. The chair
man declared the boards ships were
in constant service, chiefly between
Mexican and American gulf ports
and north Atlantic ports and Amer,-
can oil stations at ST., Thomas Vir-
gin islands, Brest and Bizerta. On
the Pacific the lines run between
San Francisco and American foreign
stations at Honolulu, Manila and
Shanghai. Government tank steam
ers carried 3,64l,362 tons of oil dur
ing the year.
All Seized Graft Sold.
Nearly all seized German cargo
craft have been sold, or chartered |
with option to purchase, while all
but II of the German passenger
ships had been disposed of during |
the year, the report said. No dispo-
sition has been made. however. of
the one Austrian vessel. the Martha |
Washington.
Describing the activities of the
boards department OF investigation,
the chairman reported that between
April, 1918, and june. 1920, there
have been $500 separate investiga-
tions conducted over the country |
Operations have been co-ordinated.
he added, with those of the Depart.
1nent OF Justice, the 1faval and mill
tary intelligence services and other
agencies Of the government in which |
there was join. interest.