Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-18
BRITAIN IS LEADING
IN SH|PBU|LD|NG
Tonnage Under Construction
Passes That of the
United States.
BY w. l.. MANSON.
Correspondence Of The Star and Chi
cagO Daily News.

interest is felt here in the shipbuilding
statistics for the second quarter of
this year, particularly in the ad-
vance in the work under construction
in the United Kingdom, in contrast
with the falling off in the shipyards
of the United States.
The contrast between the United
Kingdom and the United States is
the most outstanding feature of the
Lloyd's returns just issued. Put con-
cisely, it amounts to this: While the
shipyards of the United States are
losing steadily in the matter of new
tonnage under construction, those of
the United Kingdom are gaining to at
least an equal extent.
At the end of March, 1919, the shsp-
yards of the United States had on
hand-that is. on the building slips
vessels making an aggregate of A.
June last they had only Ala vessels
of 2.105.956 tons. Constitutional work
in United States shipyards, therefore,
fell off in fifteen months nearly 1885,
600 tons. and is now about half what
it was in March of last year.
At the end of March, 1919, there
were under construction in the United
:.
We were behind America by over L.
$4,000 tons. 1t then seemed as if
we were completely out of the ship
building race, especially as Ameri-
can shipyards had been turning out
new vessels in much larger numbers
than were those of this country.
Reversal in Fifteen Months.
In every way America was leading
In amount of work on hand, in ton
mage launched and in the general
push and go which characterized the
activities of its shipyards. There
We're those on this side--some OF
them leading shipbuilders and ship
oWners-who said quite frankly that
they saw little or no hope OF regain
ing the lead, and that We must lay
our account henceforth with the
United States as first shipbuilding, if
not first shipowning, country in the
world. We had been so heavily handi- |
capped by the war that we had lost |
our position in the race, and, with a
great and enterprising nation like
the United Sites in front of US, it |
would be impossible to regain the |
lead.
That was fifteen short months ago. |
Now, instead of being behind the !
United States by nearly 100000 tons, |
we are ahead by about 1,473.00O tons |
Our work on hand now consists of /,
the relative positions stand thus:
IN MARCH, 1918.
United States .........-...........4 1888 !
United Kingdom .'....-........--~. 254, S45 |
American credt balance 100, ;...-."- $780, e7s
United Kingdom NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 3,57S 153 |
United States ....................2 1O5 956 |
British credit balance 1.472 1877 ;
This means that the United King |!
dom has converted a debit balance
of 1,9SO,67S tons into a credit bal i,
ance of 1.472,197 tons. representing a
gross gain of S.402.S75 tons, and
ly and unmistakabIe. in the position
of leading shipbuilding nation of the
world.
The advance in the United Kingdom
has not been in the nature of a sud
den boom, which might be expected to |
die out after the first flush of enthu-
siasm for new tonnage had passed
vious quarters. we find that ever 1
since the worst period of the war, so
far as mercantile shipbuilding was
there has been a steady /
increase of tonnage on hand. Work in
British shipyards plumbed it's lowest
d,
when there were on hand only 42O
vessels of 1,363,590 tons. Output of
new tonnage was low, and in the first
quarter of 1916 the total launched |
was only 60 vessels of S0,661 tons-an
quite negligible in COMPARE /
son with the necessities of the coun-
try. But about that time the serious
ness of the tonnage position was
realized, and there was started an |!
upward movement which has cuTfni- !
mated in the figures for the second !
quarter of 1920.
Now that the total is nearly $780,
900 tons there are signs of calling a
halt. Owners realize that all the war
time losses have been made good, and |
that there is sufficient tonnage on the |
stocks for few years ahead, if only |
they can get deliveries. There are |
signs of a depression in the freight |
markets of the world, which may
make it difficult for vessels built at |
the present high costs to earn divi- /
dends.
After that Of the United States-a |
long way after-the largest amount !
of shipbuilding work on hand is that |
of Holland (39S,915 tons). The British |
dominions are building us vessels of |
26S,799 tons. Japan has Sc vessels of |
254 1853 tons, a decrease of about 3D.
900 tons. The worlds total of $780,
904 tons is about 221, 900 tons less
than that of three months ago and
$4,000 tons less than the highest
figures reached-those of September,