The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-13
AMERICAN MERCHANT
MARINE GROWS FAST
BY 1922 1t Will Probably Have as Much
Tonnage as All the Other Coun-
tries Combined, Excepting
Great Britain.


Washington, d. c., Dec. 13--With
completion of the government ship
building program by 1922, the United
States probably will have as much
ocean going tonnage as all the other
countries combined, with the exception
of Great Britain, Chairman Benson of
the shipping board declared in his an
nual report made public to-day.
At the end of the last fiscal year,
the chairman said American merchant
ships, government and private owned,
numbered 3,404, of l6,9l8,2l2 dead.
weight tons, not including more than
100000 tons of shipping on the Great
Lakes. The net program of govern
ment owned ships, Admiral Benson
said, contemplated 2,3l5 vessels of l3,
675,7ll lightweight tons and at the
end of the last fiscal year, 2,070 ships
aggregating l,6ss ,36l lightweight tons,
had been completed.
During the year l,lS0 finished ships
of 6,379,823 lightweight tons were de-
livered exceeding all records. They
were built without overtime or other
aids to rapid production, Admiral Ben
son said
1.-THE shipyard workers of the United
States has developed an expertness
which has raised the efficiency of the
various crafts to a high plane and pro-
duction has kept pace accordingly" Ad
miral Benson said. The industry has
expanded $4,000 skilled mechanics to
force of $4,000 men available to the
private shipyards, he added.
"The credit for the accomplishment
of the aims Of the emergency feet cor
poration, is therefore due to these men
who have surpassed all previous per-
formances in the shipbuilding of the
world" he said.
American vessels are now sailing In
200 separate services. They carried 44,5
per cent of the nations foreign com.
merce last year as compared with OF
per cent before the war, the report
said
The government fleet in operation
June 80 consisted Of 1924 vessels ply
ing to all quarters of the globe, includ-
ing sos to northern Europe and 1875 to
southern Europe. In the trans Pacific
service there were 1853 vessels and in
the South American, 1873.
Forty-one direct service lines have
been established to South and Central
America from nine ports on the Allan
tic coast, four on the gulf and two on
the Pacific coast, the report said.
To cope with the formidable prob
lens overseas, Admiral Benson said tbs
European organization of the shipping
board. with headquarters in London
was established in June. 1910. Prior
to its creation board vessels in Euro
pean ports had been attended entirely
by the agents of the managing com
panies, the report said, whom either
through inefficiency, indifference or dis
honesty, allowed American ships TO be
mishandled and subjected to delays and
exoribant charges"
The new organization, through its
control over movements, charter, car
goes, bunkers, supplies, repairs and
similar matters, the report explained.
has reduced the average turn around of
DOAru Vessels from Eo+9 uhNs iVl biNat
Britain and 10 days for the continent
in September, 1919, to 1912 days for
Great Britain and ll.3 days for the
continent in May, 1920. Costs also
have been materially reduced, Chair
man Benson added.
The board sold during the year 421
ships for total of S279,9I4,594, in
GLIDING 1871 new steel cargo vessels, "a
new wooden ships and 80 former Ger
man cargo ships.
Discussing the wooden fleet, Chair
man Benson said the maximum num-
Der in operation was 240 during April,
In June there were 10 at work.
Demand for tanker tonnage increased
during the year. The chairman declared
the boards ships were in constant serv-
ice, chiefly between Mexican and Amer
lean gulf ports, and north Atlantic
ports and American oil stations at st.
Thomas, Virgin islands, Brest and BIZ
zerta. On the Pacific the liners run be-
tween San Francisco and American for
eien stations at Honolulu, Manila and
Shanghai, Government tank steamers