Evening star., 1942-02-22
What United Nations Must Do They Defeat
u. S. Shipbuilding Program
Called Key to Wars Outcome
Millions of Tons of Vessels Required to Maintain
A. E. F. Needed to Put United
Nations on Offensive
By FeIir Morley.

mately 1900 new vessels In two years
instead of 500 in 10 years, as planned.
In other words the shipbuilding in
dustry, entirely aside from increased
warship construction, has been asked
to expand its daily output to 10 times
what was regarded only three years ago
as an ambitious building program.
The Maritime Commission has shoul-
dered this staggering burden with a
quiet determination and an unadvertised
efficiency in which every American can
take legitimate pride. Under its guid-
ance, the number of private shipyards,
excluding those on the Great Lakes, has
rapidly been increased from 10 to 40, the
number Of launching ways from 46 to
275. Most Of the yards are now on q
seven-day week.
Standard Design.
simultaneously, astonishing progress
has been made in the Standardization Of
design and every subsequent aspect Of
production. In spite of the doubts of old
school sailors, welding has been substi-
tuted for riveting. The development of
fabrication and pre-assembly has been
carried far beyond the visions of the
most modern of our engineers 10 years
ago. to quote Rear Admiral Vickery,
vice chairman of the commission.
AS result Of those production
methods, combined with an admirable
industrial relations policy now proving
very successful in the elimination of
labor disputes, it Is predicted that a
l0,500-ton Liberty ship" will soon take
only los days for construction, from
keel-laying to delivery.
In addition to finding an army OF
shipbuilders, personnel skilled in navi-
cation must also be rapidly developed
by the Maritime Commission.
Both in the construction of ships and
in the training of personnel the Mari
time Commission has its tremendous
program well in hand, though shortage
of certain types of steel, of which deliv-
cries averaging 268 900 tons a month are
needed throughout this year, is causing
some anxiety in Washington. There are,
however, other factors in the grim calcu-
lation of whether American shipping can
meet the prerequisites for winning the
war.
First among those are the submarine
sinkings, now reaching ugly proportions
along the length Of the Atlantic Coast.
During the present month O total of "A
new cargo ships and tankers will come
into service. Under the constantly ac-
celebrating program 81 other vessels will
this February be launched in American
shipyards. But the net gain In tonnage
will be only the excess of ships delivered
over those sunk.
Strikes Are Danger.
Another offsetting factor is such
criminal carelessness, if it was merely
that as in few hours ruined the former
French liner Normandie and thereby de-
prived the shipping program of 10000
invaluable tons.
Strikes are another danger. From the
shipyards themselves they seem to be
happily eliminated for the duration Of
the war. But they are still possible in
some Of the 400 or more plants produc-
41s cooCIltAd4 pdIIS ANY SuCu OcNclOp-
ment might cut fatally into the margin
of safety which the Maritime Commits
sion is striving heroically to establish.
Even If 1t were possible to analyze and
weigh every factor entering into this
race against time, it would be undesir-
able to predict the outcome. But it is
not undesirable, it is on the contrary i'm
portant, to declare that the probability
that the result of the contest will at best
be close
In this war unlike the last, the United
States alone must provide the ships to
transport and supply its troops sent
overseas. Great Britain, as demonstrated
by recent events and admitted by Win
ston Churchill, has all she can do to
maintain her own.
The shipping problem, for all the in
tense effort and energy going into its
solution, is by itself sufficient to explain
why President Roosevelt continually re-
fers to 1912 as a year of preparation.