The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-25
V-Fleet To Give America
Post-W Sea Supremacy


states viii emerge from this war
WITH a merchant marine two and
5 half times as great as that Win
Hhieh ne went into the struggle =
4 itansoccanic cargo fleet bigger
and better than Great Britain pos.
stsscd at the height q her mari
time supremacy.
That merchant fleet VIII consist
entirely % modern, fast, efficient.
. economical freighlegs. II Liberty
ehips and the carry-oyer o. pre-
war craft were included, the fig
ures would be much larger. Bur
Liberty ships are not Of any use
tn ncacetitne marine competition,
and much Of our pre-war feet VIII
Be- Of doubtful value by The time the
uar ends. SO h considering this ma
tons postwar position. they can be
ignored.
The American Merchant Marine
institute estimates that by the end
cf iess we shall have built 2s5i good
postwar type cargo ships-7500-ton
CHS, D.O00-ton Gas. i0000-ton VIC
tories, i2.oo0-ton c-3's and first
class tankers. The c-types and VIC
tories are being provided with the
most modern equipment throughout,
With good loading gear and efficient
engines. They cruise at from ~ 10
ie or ~ knots.
TONNAGE INCREASED
Taking FOR these an average OF
10000 tons, this would make "a
$4,000 deadweieht tons OF the best
cargo carriers In the world. In 1890
ne possessed only 10000. 900 tons and
Great Britain. traditional monarch
OF the Seven Seas. only 2s000.000.
when peace returns we shall not
have exactly this 2s.50000o tons
available. Presumably little Of II
has been sunk already. and II Is
reasonable to assume that more viii
BE- lost 10 Germany and Japan. But
the atfrition against this tonnage
win not prove so big as, At tirst
GLANCE. might appear.
I'm 20 March 81 We had built 2,0ls
1ibetty ships. and We went into the
war with 1879 older craft. II was
against these that Nazi submarines
were really active. and II is from
these that the great bulk OF our
losses have come.
TO offset what may be lost out Of
the 2s,500000 tons q really good
ships, We can hope TO draw ON 2i9
vessels Of ''other types" some OF
which are Army transports that can
readily be converted into excellent
merchant craft. Also. while our pre-
var marine was largely old. II did
include some vessels tn at wili
Be- worth including IN the postwar
fleet.
So A. Is a fair guess that we shall
enteR the competition for the post
waA oceanic carrying trade With
mora tonnage Of better ships than
Great Britain ever possessed at one
time in her history.
And how will the British emerge2
Not 20 well. Their prewar feet has
takcn q mereiless pounding and un.
ike ours, II has not been replaced
vita two or three ships for every
ore lost.
The British have concentrated
iarealy on fighting craft. They are
building q few merchantmen axe
aDu: victories. but only 4 few. And
wrhila we have supplied c-types and
victories TO the Dutch and the Nor-
wegians. 10 keep their skilled sea"
men busy, We have given the British
mostly Liberties.
In all consideration Of war ana
posswar shipping, 1t should be Eept
ia mind that the Liberty ship rs
purely an emergency anchronisin.
She Is slow. she Is cumbersome. she
Il inefficient at her best. Forty OF
fifty years ago the Liberty snip
would have been the cats paJamas.
In fact. the engine used In the LAD"
ertv Is said 10 have been on exhlbl-
ton al the 1898 Columbia EXPOSE
ton Ia Chicago.
BRIDGE or SHIPS
we needed bridge 81 SHIPS 70
England, IN q terrible hurry. ~
could be created only by selecting
TYNE Of vessel that could be con-
str,lcted In huge quantities ~ I'M
skilled labor. under assembly hne
methods, with o minimum Of ways
A ship using an engine that aiso
could be produced In quantity unoef
similar handicaps. an.
Good ships could not be built axe
that. The 40-year-old Liberty syp
could. 80 we built Liberties. They
saved the world from Hjtlerism ano
sApanlgsn. IT Is no criticism Of me
men who made them or the men
Who ordered them TO point OUT ula.
they can not compete, ~ nofinal
peaeetime trade, with fast eiiielepb
economical modern vessels.
But We shall not need them. we
shah have more OF the very pest
than any nation before has been
able 10 boast.