Imperial Valley press., 1941-09-17

WASHINGTON. Sept. 16 - Here
after, will you please refrain from
speaking of the 3l2 emergency car
go vessels which the Maritime Com
mission is building as Ugly Duck
lingS." Call them Liberty Ships
instead, and thank you.
This Ugly Duckling appellation
seems to have been the conception
of mere neWspaperman who
thought it up Just like that when
the President first made announce
ment of the emergency Shipbuild-
ing program While the name fits
these freighters perfectly-if YOU
remember your fable Of how the
ugly duckling turned into a beauti-
full swan and flew off to Hollywood
to become star in moving pic
tures-still the name offendS some
of the effete and aesthetic Old sea
dogs in Washington and so they
must become Liberty Ships, each
one named after a great American
who made a considerable contlibu-
ton to the country's iberty-Pat-
rick Henry, John C. Fremont and
the like.
What ever you call these babies
the first three of them will be
sliding down the ways in a mass
launching on Sept. 27, which the
new publicity-conscious Maritime
Commission, with a high-poWered
New York advertising man in
charge of its public relations, is
going to call Liberty Fleet Day"
ITS GONNA BE \ GREAT DAY
IN addition to the three Ug-
pardon-Liberty Ships, nine other
merchant ships will be simultane-
ouSly launched at yards on the At
lantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts. in
what promises TO be quite a day
The President or other competent
literate will probably say a few
words into the mikes, and there
will be champagne bottles shatter-
ed all the wa from Quincy, Mass
around the coast line to Portland
Ore, by way of PascagOula Miss
The bands Will play. the crowds
will shout and radio spiolcrs turn
inside out in approved form.
September Saturday morn sar-
casm aside this shipbuilding pro-
gram is something to give you a
tremendous lift Alrcady it has
knocked all World War shipbuild-
ing records galley west. Al HOG
Island, last war. the best record
was six months and five days from
keel laying to launching In the
case Of the first three Liberty Ships
the times from keel laying to
launching run from four months
and three days TO four months and
twenty days And when pro-
duction Of these ships really gets
going, two ships Will 90 sliding
down the ways every single working
day, which means launching new
bottoms almost as fast as Hitler
submarine can sink them.
BRAINS AND
RESOURCES DID IT
To achieve this magnificent pro-
duction schedule has required the
submarines can sing them.
nical brains and resources, and cX-
actly this has been done under Ad-
miral Emory S. Land, chairman Of
the Maritime Commission, ana j
E. Schneider, director Of the com
missions division of construction.
In 1887, shortly after the com
mission was organized, q program
of one new ship every two weeks
was inaugurated 10 re-establish su-
ptemacy of the American Merchant
Marine. Stepping that up 10 two
new ships every day. the goal of
1912 and l943, gives you an idea
of the pace that has been set.
In 1896, there we're 10 shipyards
in some degree of activity with
only as ways big enough to take
400-foOt ships Today there are l9
yards and l45 ways authorized for
the Maritime Commission program
and ships are actually being built
on over half the ways.
Today's overall program calls
for the construction Of l40O non
naval ships by the end Of 1913, and
the total cost Of new yards, ways
and ships Will be in the ncighbor-
hood vi SO billion
III the l4Uu merchant or cargo
vessels IN the Maritime Commission
program, only 3l2 have so far been