FOR THE SERVICE OF MANKIND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 269, 2 August 1918, Page 6

FOR THE SERVICE OF MANKIND

AMERICA'S GREAT SHIPBUILDING EFFORT STATEMENT BY SHIPPING DIRECTOR New York, Juno IS. Air. Edward N. Hurley, chairman of the U'uik'd States Shipping Board, gave an account Inst week (slates the Bulletin of the Now York Guaranty Trust Company) of what this country is doing to develop its merchant marine iu preparation for international business after the war. It was a roaliy astonishing record of accomplishment. On July 1, 19](), there, was under the American ,llag a total deadweight tonnage of 2,112,381, about 80 per cent, of which wa.s employed in coastwise or lireut Lakes tralfie. On .1 uiio 1, 1018, the American built tonnage hod been increased 3,500,000 deadweight tons. With the ships seized from tiermany and Austria and those re;|iiisitioncd from neutral countries, tbe.ro have been added •UOO.Ojll) lons to the shipping under the American ling, 'there are , more than 1M)O ships and the tola! tonI nii.se is approximately 7,000,000 tons; There are under construction SID shipbuilding ways, twice as many as thero are in all Iho rest of the world. Of these, 751, all of which except 90 have been completed, are being utilised by the Emergency Fleet Corporation for ' Iho building of merchant: ships. An to the future, Jfr. Hurley said:— "Our programme calls for tho building of 183G passenger, cargo, refrigerator ships and tankers, ranging from MOO to 12,(1911 tons each, with un aggregate deadweight tonnage of I.'UKHKOOO. ■Wβ are also contracting for l'oo wooden bnrgcs, 50 concrete barges, 100 concrete oil-carry-ing barges, and Kil) i tei'l, wood, and ctncreto tugs of 1000 horse-power tor ocean and harbour servicu, which aggregate a total deadweight tonnage of Sfitl.OlJO. "Exclusive of the above, we have !Mf> commandeered vessels, taken over from foreign and domestic owners, which are being completed by the Emergency Fleet Corporation. These will average 7000 tons eaiih and aggregate a tolul deadweight tonnage of 1,715,000. This makes a total of !i,lOl vessels exclusive of tugs and barges which are being built and will be put on the tjeas by tho Emergency Fleet Corporation, hi the course of carrying out the present programme, with an aggregate deadweight tonnage of 'u,715,000. _ It is significant of a spirit now spreading fast in this country, a spirit which characterises America's participation in the war, that Mr. Hurler's vision of tho future sees this magnificent fleet used rather for the service of mankind than for the profit, of tho United States Government. Profit, there will bo and must be, but the fundamental idea bchind'Hhis tremendous programme is that through American service on the high seas'some of the commercial enmities created by the war will lie soothed. "The heroic role which America must therefore play," declared Mr. Hurley, "is that of a clear-headed nation which, knowing the. essential elements of justice, sees to it that justice is maintained internationally as well as domestically. In the great laws which were enacted prior to tn<j war under the leadership of President Wilson fair play was assured in American business. The same fair piny must be assured among the nations of the world, and it is onlv through a development of its own strength nnd character thai America can stand firm in her position of moral business lendership. .