Evening star., 1944-01-04
Liberty Ship Faults
Is Pei. CorreciabIe
Admiral Land Says
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Structural faults In Liberty ships,
which have caused some of them to
break up, cannot be entirely cor
rected, Chairman Emory S. Land OF
the Maritime Commission says.
AS Chairman Truman of the SEN
ate War Investigating Committee
disclosed he has asked for report
on Liberty ship performance, Admi-
raj Land said the structural faults
are susceptible to from rs to 80 per
cent correction, but not 100 per cent
Senator Truman's action was
prompted by Senator Wallgren,
Democrat, Of Washington, who is de-
manding halt in conversion OF
Liberty ships to troop carriers pend
ing an inquiry into reports that sew
eral have broken apart at sea.
Working on Corrections.
The defects, Admiral Land said
at a news conference yesterday
amount to what are technically
known as "locked-up stresses. ="
These stresses, repeatedly resulting
from welding practices. eventually
cause some ships to crack, or as in a
few cases actually to break in two.
He said the commission has been
working on correction since con-
struction of welded ships started
early in the war.
The admiral also reported that
"our shipping is now just about
adequate to meet all our strategic
requirements"
He expressed confidence that when
the European invasion finally is
ready to roll, American and United
Nations shipping will be able to
keep it moving and we'll supplied.
Admiral Land said that this years
construction program now before
Congress would call for around
10000 900 tons of shipbuilding, but is
very flexible. The commission, he
declared, is going to spend of its ap-
preparations only whatever we are
required by the war to spend"
Curtailment Expected.
Curtailment in shipbuilding, he
said, is to be expected, and some
personnel will be dismissed.
Construction in 1943, Admiral
Land announced, totaled 1928 ,626
deadweight tons, or 1896 vessels
That embraces December construc-
ton of 208 vessels (2,O44,239 dead
weight tons,, including 1l8 Liberty
ships and a number of other types
The rate Of December construc-
ton, said Rear Admiral Howard L.
Vickery, vice chairman of the Mari
time Commission. could be turned
into a $4,000 .000-ton production in
1914 IF anybody wanted to build
Is 900 900 tons"
Admiral Land. however, empha-
sized that the shipbuilding this year
would be shaped to meet specific
war requirements. He noted that
the first Victory ship would be
launched January II and said that
the aim in 1914 is to produce quality
not quantity; fast, not slow ships.
NcW 1ypc r AStcT.
Associates OF Admiral Land said
one category of the Victory ships
would be named for the United
Nations members, having such des-
ignations as China Victory" These
ships have speed of 16-171a knots
in comparison with the Liberty s
l1L2 knots.
The conference also brought out
that:
The American merchant marine
now totals l30,000 men, as compared
with about As 900 before the Pearl
Harbor attack.
That renegotiatio Of shipbuilding
contracts by voluntary agreement
has eliminated $85 .495 900 in excess
profits and brought an additional
reduction Of $57,352 900 in prices
originally set forth in existing con-
tracts.