New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-19
Stop Work on
$4,000 Tons
British Ships
English Yards Report Sharp
Decline in Construction
Under Progress During
First Quarter of Year
Iioyds Registers Returns
Show Increase in Figures
Of Tankers Being Built

A sharp decrease in the volume Of
din construction throughout the world.
aae chiefly to stoppage of work on
Pritish vessels, is shown by the returns
If Lloyds Register of Shipping for the
smarter ended April /.
aMore than seven million cross tons
a merchant vessels are reported nc
having been in hand in the shipyards
Of the world on April j." says Lloyds
statement Compared with the totni
"a January l, this 7,0S6,000 tons repre-
sents decline of less than 100000
tons, or only about l Il per cent
"The actual decline in shipbuildinc
ss.iyity, however, has been mucS
Sharper in the last three months than
spears on the surface. While the
tatal reported for Great Britain, 3.79S.-
tss gross tons, indicates q gain OF
1900 tons over the January figure.
.sere has been a marked reduction in
the volume Of tonnage on which work
is actually proceeding"
Work on Ships Suspended
Included in the total in the hands
Of British shipyards are $4,000 gross
tons of vessels on which work has
been postponed, chiefly owing to the
strike OF the ship joiners, which has
hterfered with the lifting out of q
lumber of large liners and other ves-
as. Taking this total of SAT 900 tons
INTO consideration, therefore, the total
II new ships on which work is pro-
steding in British shipyards is 2,55l,-
ss3 tons. or about 20 per cent less than
lie total at the beginning of the year
Additional indications of the condi-
tons in British shipbuildins are fur
sished by the returns of launchings
snd new work begun during the first
garter Of this year. New keels rep
resented only 39l 900 gross tons, in
ssmparison with $4,000 for the last
quarter of 1920, and 701 900 for the
garter ended April l, 1920 Launch
ngs during the quarter just ended
spresented 431, 600 tons, as against
$4,000 tons for the last three months
Of 1920. Even with the delays due
. strikes and other causes, therefore,
york is being completed more rapidly
ian new work is coming in.
Returns for American shipyards,
lloyds Register states, show con-
.nuance OF the decline that has been
il effect for more than year past
The total construction under way on
ssril is reported as 1,102 900 tons, or
slightly more than 40 per cent Of the
aaerican total Of year ago. In com
aison with the aggregate building at
tie beginning of this year decline
more than 100000 tons is shown.
Drop Nearly Million Tons
While the returns show reduction
.ionly $4,000 tons in the world aggre-
p,s on April i, as compared with
January, suspensions Of work in Brit
isa s5pyards make much greater net
dstlns On this basis the compare
tie status for the two periods is as
follows, the figures being in gross
cas:
January l. April J..
Iatel States ..... 100000 100000
United Kingdom -. 100000 9.95l.ooo
oihsr countries -. 2.16o,o0o 2,ls5.ooo
World total ..... 7,17o.oOo. s,2aS. 900
The apparent decrease in shipbuild
Ing activity during the past quarter,
therefore, has been not far from q
million tons, a decline of about 1912
per cent
In some directions, however, gains
are shown in the volume of construc-
ten under way These are most mark
ed in the case of France, which now
stands next to the United KingGorl
and the United States as a shipbuild
Ing nation having displaced Holland
during the past quarter. A year ago
France, with only 100000 tons under
Tay, was led by Japan, Italy and Hol-
and, and was constructing only 5000
tons more than the British Dominions.
Today, with $4,000 tons building, she
las nearly two and half times the
total for the British Dominions and
leads Japan and Italy by 5000 tons
and $4,000 tons, respectively.
Class Two-Thirds of Ships
The tonnage Of vessels actually
building under the supervision Of
Lloyds Register and intended to be
slassed with that society now amounts
. a7SS,955 gross tons, of which
S,Vol ,4l2 tons are being built in the
United Kingdom Ca gain of 10000
IONS over the previous quarter), and
sl,soio43 tons in other countries. The
society is therefore CHASING more than
s!*o-thirds of all the seagoing tonnage
oa'idins in the world to-day OF 100
soss tons and upward.
IN view of the general decline in
.saIpouiiding, it is interesting to note
shaI the amount OF tanker tonnage
saoer way continues to increase. The
imperative figures are as follows, in
;,,,,., Jan. 1, 1920 APR. I, 1921
r ;te9 states ..... 637,100 C32016