New-York tribune., 1921-11-25
Would Turn
Battle Cruisers
Into Liners
Marine Men Favor Building
Fast Passenger Vessels,
Convertible i'm War Time,
From Kecls Already Laid
Five Craft Are Available
Shipyards Would Be Saved
and u. S. Given a Fleet
Equal to Foreign Nations

Use Of the materials gathered for
Tho construction Of five 35-knot battle
cruisers, which would bo scrapped I'm
der the American plan for the limita-
tion Of naval armament, in tho build
ing Of fast 25-knot passenger vessels
has been suggested to the Shipping
Board and Administration leaders by
Maine men.
Sponsors for this plan say there
would be three beneficial results: 1,
the United States would gain feet Of
fast passenger ships comparable with
those now under foreign flags; 2, the
shipyards would be saved, and. 5, the
country would have number of ships
which could readily be converted into
auxiliary cruisers in the event of war;
1t is pointed out that tho govern
ment fleet, consisting Of 1,40O steel yes
sells Of 100000 tons, is poorly bal
anccd, in that it is composed to a
large extent of cargo ships and few
passenger vessels. The best Of the
latter are the 535-foos combination
cargo and passenger ships Of II knots
and 14,000 gross tons, and the 502-foot
ships Of II knots and 1900 tons,
with these, Great Britain has in the
White Star and Cunard fleets alone
six vessels averaging $4,000 tons each
and 23 knots, besides scores Of ships
equal to the best under the American
flag. This country has the Leviathan,
of $4,000 gross tons and 23 knots, which
Is not in commission, and other old
eX-Gcrman ships.
British Position Stronger
According to the statement of Sec
retary Hughes at the opening session
of the Arms Conference, the impor-
tancc Of merchant ships in war in
creases in "inverse ratio" to the lirai-
tation OF battleships. 1t is declared
| by shipping men that If the construc-
| tion of naval vesscls is restricted, the
| British fleet will Immediately become
more valuable and that it has great
preponderance in potential auxiliary
cruisers, built with this purpose in
mind and assisted by subsidies.
| There is no disposition on the part
cruiser fleet of Great Britain, but they
say that this country should not be
handicapped SO heavily. In other re.
spects the program for the limitation
of naval armament has met with full
approval.
One of the officials Of the American
Bureau of Shipping was in Washing.
ton early in the week and discusset
this subject with members of the
Shipping Board. 1t is understood thai
the plan has been approved in princi
Emergency Fleet Corporation, ant
other officials.
1t was said here yesterday that thu
five battle cruisers, which arc 16 pc,
cent complete, can readily be con
verted to passenger ships of 25 knots
The keels and underwater work dt
not differ materially from those O
commercial ships. The upper armol
can be discarded and in other re
spects the ships, it is said, present n'
great difficulty in making the change
Use Money on Passenger Fleet
The suggestion is made that thu
money saved by the government il
the limitation Of naval ships can profit
ably be expended on passenger boats
The plans for the five cruisers cal
for 35-knots, which requires the in
stallation of machinery of 10000
horse power in each ship. According
to shipping men only $4,000 hors
power will be needed to give spec
of 25 knots, and the snacc which woui
Dc occupied Dy Inc aUQlClOn9l IHaCnln
cry would be available for passenge
Accommodations.
Officials of the ehipbuilding com
panies have not criticized the arm pro
gram-on the contrary have in
dorsed it fully as means to end wa
and to save national expenditure-bu
they join with steamship men in say
ing that unless other construction i.
substituted large part of the industr