Evening star., 1943-04-01
u. 5. Shipbui|ding
Exceeds Tonnage
Sunk, Report Shows
1o43 Construction Goal
Roised From 5000, 900
To 18,890,000 Tons

formed year ago last January tC
make the most out of United Nations
tonnage.
Withholding exact figures or
losses, end warning that the U-boat
continues serious threat to the
war program" the report said that
new construction now exceeds ton
mage being sunk"
While the prospective tonnage to-
tails for the two fleets at the years
end were not disclosed, the report
revealed for the first time the exact
1943 goal of the United States in
new construction of merchant ships
1880, 900 deadweight tons. That
compares with 100000 tons COM
pleted III 1912.
Goal Is Raised.
This years goal heretofore had
been listed officially as about 10000
600 tons, but with predictions it
might be increased to as much as
100000.
(As of January /, 194l, the
British merchant marine was more
than twice as large as that of the
United States. These were the last
figures published before statistics be-
came secret because of the war.
(On that date, the British EN-
pire had 1864 merchant vessels ag-
gregating 16,806.378 gross tons,
counting only vessels of 1000 gross
tons or more. The United States
had 1,150 vessels of 7,078,9O9 gross
tons and Japan 1913 vessels of 4,754,-
699 gross tons. The totals for the
world were 50,37l 1866 gross tons.
(Since then, because of the vast
construction program in this coun-
try, the United States merchant
fleet has moved steadily closer to
Great Britain's.
(Rear Admiral Emory S. Land,
chairman of the Maritime Commits
sion, recently told a congressional
committee that the American mer-
chant fleet probably would equal
Great Britain's by the middle of this
year and might be as much as Is
per cent larger by the end of the
year,
Activities Reviewed.
The board, reviewing its years
activities, asserted:
l. The United Nations are SLOWLY
but surely building up advantage on
the seas which will be an important
factor in achieving final victory.
2. Shipping space is the most
precious war commodity of the
United Nations.
3. Such waste as exists is caused
by the emergencies or war and is
small in proportion to the vastness
OF the combined wartime operations.
4. Co-ordinated operation of the
Allied commercial fleets makes pos
sible wartime achievements which
would not be possible under separate
action.
Empty Ships Explained.
Taking cognizance of criticism that
ships sail for home in ballast, leav-
ing cargoes on the wharves of for
eign ports, the board offered this
explanations:
At some point on the voyage home
there are imports more essential to
the war program, and a ship that
sails from one port in ballast may
pick up these strategic imports later.
Occasionally, however, ships COM
plete the homeward voyage in bal
last instead of picking up non-essen-
tial imports because it takes time to
load and discharge ships" and the
time spend loading non-essential
imports is wasted, as is the time
spent discharging them on arrival
IN the United States. Ship time is
more valuable than an unnecessary
commodity"
Conveys Are Time Wasting.
The board described the convoy
system as zone of the most impor-
tant causes of waste" since ships lie
idle waiting formatio of a convoy,
then lose several knots of potential
speed in maintaining ranks during
crossings.
But said the board, "the safety
that comes in group operation bal
ances such loss"
Waste also stems from the fact
that many ports which normally
handle little commerce are now kew
points of transport and cannot
quickly be equipped to handle the
arriving cargoes," the board added.
Effectiveness Is High.
1t contended, nevertheless, that
Allied ships operate at about 10 per
cent of maximum effectiveness, COM
pared with peacetime operation of
about 80 per cent, and called this "a
good record"
In addition to the 1880, 900 dead
weight tons of merchantmen sched-
uled to be completed in the United
States this year, Britain will deliver
"sizable' but undisclosed total.
Despite this construction program
the Allied merchant feet will still
be only so per cent of the tonnage
that could be used" the board re-
ported.
The board revealed that United
Nations ships, including American
British, French, Dutch, Russian
Danish, Yugoslav, Polish and Greek
carried 100000 tons of cargoes
between the United States and for
eign ports last year.
The board operates as two units
one in Washington and one in Lon
don. Here, the members are Ad-
miral Land, with L. w. Douglas as
his deputy, and Sir Arthur Salter
head of the British Shipping Mis-
sion. In London, w. Averell Harri-
man Is the American member, while
Lord Leathers represents Britain.
Nine From D. {. Enrolled
In Civilian Defense Class