Evening star., 1951-02-11
America Still Floats Pretty Good Merchant Fleet
Launched Build New II
Sufficient Slower Transport and MoteieI Across the oceu

I4dl 4tlC OOOdy 10 III 1duly SOOO
shape" to meet the requirements
of all-out mobilization should
such be thrust upon it. This is
the considered opinion of Gov
ernment. industry and military
experts.
They agree. however, there is
"a need to increase the procure
ment of speedy passenger troop
transport types and tankers. The
United States Maritime Admin
istration's launching of program
to produce about SO fast new
cargo ships Is taking care of an
other need and is expected to
provide the base for a great ex-
pansion in this category. II 1t
becomes necessary.
Letting of contracts for the first
Is of the new cargo vessels was
one Of two significant develop
ments at the USMA last week.
The other was the virtual COM
pletion of plans for the new Ma
tional Shipping Authority which
is expected to be set up within
days by executive order of the
President.
The NSA would be a counter
part to the old War Shipping
Administration and it would. in
the event Of war. have power to
requisition private shipping, al
locate it, have responsibility for
operating the vessels and for
training and recruiting personnel.
Insiders say that Vice Admiral
E. L. Cochrane, Federal maritime
chief, will name Charles H. Nc
CURE. head Of the contract eval-
uation division at USMA, as the
first director of NSA.
Vital Question of Types
in terms OF bottoms and dead
weight tonnage. the merchant
fleet is in good condition. We
have plenty of ships to get the
men and materiel overseas. but
the trips wouldn't be as safe and
as speedy as the planners desire
especially in view Of the Soviet
snorkel submarine threat and the
more terrible weapons Of today.
atomic and otherwise.
There are about 1885 ocean
going vessels Of more than 16 mil
lion deadweight tons in active
service and another 1872 ships of
1875 million tons In reserve. About
1000 Of the latter are the slow
(10-knot) Liberty ships.
These figures represent a bigger,
better and faster merchant marine
than comprised the total active
and reserve prewar fleet when
less than 1900 vessels Of about II
million tons were available.
Unfortunately, the status Of the
merchant fleet Is not simply a
matter Of numbers of ships and
tonnage. There is the vital ques-
tion Of types. Hence, the cry today
for speed-in tankers, cargo car
riers and troop transports.
This is necessary, say the ex-
perts, If submarine losses are to
be kept down. There is even talk
in some circles In the Maritime
Administration that conveys may
not be feasible in a future war and
that therefore new ships should
be made speedy enough to operate
alone.
One voice playing down the
tendency to make speed the all
important factor is that of Rear
Admiral William Callaghan, di-
rector of the United States Mill
tary Sea Transportation Service,
set up by the Defense Department
to lift men and supplies for the
armed services.
Speed Not Everything
Admiral Callaghan said that the
routing and diverting Of ships, in
telligence on the operation of
enemy submarines and detection
devices are more important than
simple speed. He said he saw no
desperate need for new fast troop
transports.
Both the industry, as represent
ed by the National Federation OF
American Shipping, and the
USMA agree, however, that we
need more true troop transports
But the USMA believes the need
here is not as urgent as that for
fast freighters.
In its year-end report for 1850
the federation declared:
"The greatest inadequacy in the
privately owned American mer-
chant fleet is the grave shortage
Of passenger-carrying vessels
capable of conversion to troop
transports in event of military
necessity"
The Federation pointed out