The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1922-05-16

Sale viii Bring in Return of Less
Than Half of One Per
Cent on Outlay.
TOTAL WILL Be S2,75O,OOO
Eighteen Months Allowed for Scrap
ping After Ratification Of Treaty
Portable Materials Will
Be Stripped of.

Be Stripped OF.
WashingtOn.-The American war
ships to be strapped in compliance
with the terms Of the recently ratified
naval limitation treaty will bring the
United States less than half Of 1
per cent on the dollar. The original
cess Of $5OO,OOO,OOO. while the most
they are expected to bring when put
up for sale as junk is $2,5O0,OOO. The
probability is that the net return will
be considerably less, says Donald Nc
Gregor in the New York World.
The very best price warships have
been bringing at junk sales, this be-
ing based on figures from the DISPOSE
ton of vessels at the Philadelphia
navy yards recently, is SIS a ton.
There are approximately $4,000 tons
Of ships to be sold and, if this price
would amount to $2,75O,OOO, out of
which, of course, is to be paid certain
costs of sale.
Rear Admiral David W. Taylor,
chief constructor of the navy, is at
the head of a special board Of admir-
ing Of the warships. The board is
about ready to make it's report, recon-
nerding a plan for the disposition of
the vessels for the best interests of
the government and in compliance
with the terms of the treaty.
Strip of PprtabIes.
Under the program which is likely
to be recommended the vessels are to
be stripped Of portable furnishings,
navigation instruments, guns and
similar equipment and sold to the
highest bidder. They are not all to be
put up at one time-not, as might ap-
pear on the surface, because Of
danger Of injur1ng the junk market,
but rather to keep from Cutting the
ship-wrecking market which, in Amer
lea, is small.
Much more time than commonly is
supposed is allowed for the DISPOSE
ton of the vessels. The treaty pro-
vides that the warships are to be put
out Of service as such within six
months after the exchange Of ratifi-
cations between the powers, and that
after that a year Is allowed for their
final breaking up, or, altogether
period Of Is months from the time Of
the exchange Of ratifcations. Just
when the exchange will take place
nobody knows as yet. The recent
ratification Of the naval treaty by the
United States senate is only a part Of
the procedure. The other signatory
pOwerS-Great Britain, Japan, France
and Italy-must notify the Washing
ton government Of their ratification
and it must be proclaimed before the
period for disposing Of the warships is
to start.
To Junk Twenty.Seven Warships.
In a way this is regarded as fortu-
nate by those charged with the dis
position of the warships, because, just
at this time, the junk market is at Il
very low ebb.
In all, the United States is to dis
pose of q warships, 16 of which are
completed and II partly built.
1.-THE navy will, Of course, remove
all fittings that can be used on other
vessels" Rear Admiral Taylor ex-
planned Furniture, for instance.
will be taken off. Furniture does not
last long at sea, and the navy is buy
ing or building furniture all the time
All the navigation instruments will
be removed, as will be other instru-
ments of use only aboard battleships
AS for stripping the ships much be-
yond this point, except for the guns,
cannot see how this is advisable.
1.-The junk that will come off the
vessels will be copper, brass, certain
machinery, such as small engines and
motors; plumbing, which is Of high
grade and a small amount Of wood
But more than 60 per cent of every
battleship is steel
THE ship-wrecking industry in the
United States is very small. We have
never had many ships to scrap. How
ever, the Navy department Is trying
to interest some Of the shipbuildins
companies In the business so that there
may be the greatest possible number
of bidders when the ships are put uI
for SALE"