The Dominion. FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1918. RECORD SHIPBUILDING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 204, 17 May 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1918. RECORD SHIPBUILDING

The record feat in shipbuilding which is reported froin America to-day—tho completion of a 5500-ton steamer in 37 days from the date on which tho keel was laid—is in itself very notable, and still bettoA deserves attention, as an indication of tho lines on which America is developing the greatest programme of merchant ship construction that has ever been framod. The pitch of organisation that is demanded to complete a steel steamer in 37 days may be gauged from the fact that tho completion of a British standard ship in a little over six months was recently mentioned as a, creditable performance in a Ministerial statement in tho House of Commons. In America all previous records were broken some months ago when a Seattle shipyard launched an 8000-ton steel ship in 64 days. The chairman of tho American Shipping Board stated at tho time that the Eastern shipyards wero preparing to beat the Pacific Coast record, and they are now in a position to claim_ that they have dono it with a liberal margin. Their porformanco is chiefly interesting, however, as it bears upon general prospects in the domain of American shipping construction. It has not been accomplished by concentrating resources, regardless of cost and other considerations, upon the construction of a single ship, but as an incident in tho development of a vast organisation which aims at tho production of the greatest possibly tonnage of shipping in a givon time. In these circumstances it seems safe to conclude that tho construction of one ship in tho record time of 37 days means that the United States will in the near future bo turning out ships in record number as well as at record speed. Some disappointment has bcon expressed in recent days at the progress of American shipbuilding, but it may be traced in part at least to exaggerated and unreasonable expectations. It is not denied that initial mistakes were made and that somo delays have occurred which foresight and sound judgment might have averted. But although it is easy to find matter for disappointment by setting what America has accomplished in shipping construction in contrast with an _ ideal standard or with tho optimistic estimates which were current in tho United States and in other countries a year ago, the achievement in itself, and even at its present stage when preliminary work which will not havo to bo repeated bulks largo in the total result, is by_ no moans unworthy of what America has accomplished in other departments of war preparation. Tho project of building wooden ships aggregating three million tonsin twelvemonths or less, about which so much was heard last year, has not been rea-

Used, but in March, the last month for which complete returns are available, tho American yards turned out merchant ships at a somewhat better rale than has ever been attained in Great Britain, and if expectations based not on fancy, but on the present pitch of organisation and on results to date, are realised, America will this year surpass and next year more than double the output of 3,000,000 tons of shipping per annum which is named meantime as tne goal of British effort.

Any review of what America has accomplished in shipping construction must take account of the fact that hor industrial organisation to this end haß been • in' very great part created during the last twelvo months—much of it in a considerably shorter period. In 1915 she produced less than 200,000 tons of shipping. When she entered the war she had only about 160 slipways, all of them occupied by ships in construction. The chairman of the Shipping Board (Mr. Hurlet) disclosed a wonderful development from this state of affairs in a state-, ment made a couple of months ago. "Wo have the shipyards practically completed," he said on that occasion. "Materials will bo in the yards very soon. 'Wo have 130 shipyards with 700 ways and half a million men, who should produce 1600 ships." A clearer idea of whathas been done and is in prospect is given,'however, by the Washington correspondent of the London Times in an article based upon an interview with Mr. jutjrley. The article deals in the following passages with the principal aspects of the shipping programme:

Steel ship construction, Mr. HurloT said, was proceeding apace, and although actual figures may not Ixi given, Mr. Hurley asserted that tho output in April, May, and June, would he doublo tho output of January, February, and March, and that the construction curvo would tnka a sudden riso in July, when tho great manufacturing plants will bo in full working order and some largo naval contracts would approach completion. This riso would continue till October of this year, when Mr. Hurley is confident that tho lnunchings will bo at tho rate of 500,000, possibly 600,000, tons per month. Exclusive of the ships building for tho United States Navy, work is being done now on about 10,000,000 tons of shipping, Three million, tons represents ships already built and building for private owners and foreign nations, which have been commandeered by tha United States, and 7,000,000 tons-represents the construction programme of the Shipping Board. Hog Island yard when running at its maximum capacity will be able to turn out one finished freighter of 15 knots and 8000 dead-weight ton* every 48 hours as long as tho emergency lasts. Even now tho ships which are to be assembled at Hog Island and other great yards are being manufactured in hundreds of steel plants. Despite possimistio reports of experts on tho amount of tonnage the United States will produce thia year, Mr. Hurley, while refusing to make any raoro predictions, is confidont that at least 3,500,000 tons will bo placed in service. To those who assort that this would be a. miracle, Mr. Hurley replies that America is the land of miracles. My own impression, after visiting all tho great Eastern yards, is that America will come very near 4,000,000 dead-weight tons, which amount can certainly be doubled next year.

A glimpse of the mighty organisation which is now, rapidly approaching the stage of high production is given in accounts of the exbaoidinarv effort made at Hog Island, not far from Philadelphia. Here 50 slipways have been laid down, 120,000 piles driven, hundreds of miles of railway built, and a whole city created on ground frozen five feet deep and so hard that it had to bo blasted with dynamite. The establishment as a whole is only a few months old, but before long it will be turning out a steamer of 8000 tons every 48 hours. When the point of full production is reached this single shipyard, with its fifty slipways, will turn outcloso upon 1,500,000 tons of shipping per annum. If America's production of ships to the' present date has given some reason for disappointment it is nevertheless true that she is now far advanced in a shipbuilding achievement such as the world has never yet approached. The full publicity now given to tho facts'of the shipping situation and to the vital need of swiftly augmenting existing tonnage will rio doubt operate with as stimulating effect in America as in England, and already it is acknowledged that workmen in tho American shipyards have established a very fine record. That_ progress in shipping construction has realised the expectations of the responsible authorities in tho United States, as distinct from those of the man 'in the is indicated in the latest available information relating to an extension of the American military programme According to a recent Washington dispatch estimates of the ability of the transport service of the Allies to take American troops to Franco have been submitted to the President, and indicate that a maximum number of 1,800,000 men will be in France by Christmas, provided there are no breakdowns in _ the service. This includes the shipment of the necessary supplies. Hitherto 1,500,000 has beon regarded as the maximum number of United States troops likely to be taken to France by the end of this year. A great diversion of Allieu and neutral shipping to some extent accounts for tho material increase now conbut tho production of new shipping in Amerioa is also a big factor in making the increase [ possible. Excluding delays and! disappointments now unforeseon j American construction will next year become the dominant factor in the shipping situation as a whole.