Evening star., 1922-01-15

Smith, secretary. and other lieuten-
Shipping Board and the Emergency
Fleet Corporation Ia not = sealed
volume. 1t Is yours and It is mine
for the asking. But ] warn you that
If you undertake an investigation Of
these monstrous enterprises you
must be sure you are in good physi-
cal and mental condition before you
begin searching into the dazzling
complications and ramifcations pre-
s"nted. War carries with 1t the most
reckless haste, waste and extrava-
gance, This is true of any country
burdened with the horrors of war.
1t matters not whether the .adminis-
responsibilities of conducting the
war, belonged to the republican
party or to the democratic party,
there is always the most ruthless
waste.
This is plain story of perhaps the
mcst gigantic enterprise ever UNDER
taken by any government in the his
tory Of the world.
The American merchant marine is
now a reality. United States govern
ment-owned ships are new sailing
the seven seas. Every man. woman
and child in the United States owns
a part of the American merchant ma
rine. Hundreds Of thousands Of the
people bought the bonds that made it
possible for the government, to get
the money with which to build these
ships.
On January there were 431 steel
ships out of a. total Of all kinds of
ships built by. Uncle Sam (2.312)
that were in active service. This indi-
Gates that there are 1881 ships that
are idle. going to rust and disinte-
grating. The 431 ships now in use
have a lightweight tonnage Of 5.501.-
ESQ. while the tonnage of the total
number Of ships built is 13.636.711.
Some of the ships built are tankers.
barges and tugs.
The ships are classified'as follows:
Requisitioned steel ships ps.............. 3s4
Contract steel ships. s.................. 1909
Contract wood ships. s.................. $50
Composite. wood and cement. ........... IS
Contract cement ships. i
Total number Of ships 2.312
There are twenty-five ships Of the
type of the S. S. American Legion.
Besides these, number of other steel
ships are combination passenger and
nj r,
use. or likely to ever be used. will he
salvaged and sold to the highest bid
ders. The aim of the government is
to get all it can out of this enormous
pile Of junk, scattered from the At
lantic to the Pacific, and then try to
forget the stupendous loss.
The Hog Island. Pa. shipyard. built
at a cost of $67,O0O,0OO to Uncle SAM
and several other shipyards costing
scores of millions will be almost total
losses, The Emergency Fleet Corpora
tion is now trying to dispose of the Hog
Island yard. The officers of the corpora
ton have recently had consultations
with the mayor and other city officials
of Philadelphia with view to having
that city cooperate with the govern
ment in disposing of the property.
X X
THE majority of the ships are
= equipped for burning oil. Oil is
more economical tnan coal and dis
penses with a big force of stokers or
coal shovelers. In long voyages. how
ever, it is not always as convenient to
get oil as it is to have ships supplied
with coal.
The present officials of the United
States Shipping Board and the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation report that
they have reduced the fixed overhead
operating expenses from $16.o0o,0o0 a
year to less than $11.000.00o. OF course.
large numbers Of employees nave been
discharged. The policy of the Shipping
Board is to Americanize the personnel
of the service, so that few or no for
eigners will be employed. The board
maintains offices at every important
port in the United States. Offices are
established at the principal ports Of