New records in the production of ships by the United States and the
United Kingdom were established during the month of May, 1918. American
shipyards completed and delivered to the Shipping Board forty-three
steel ships and one wooden ship, representing, in the aggregate,
263,571 deadweight tons. These figures do not refer to launchings, but
to ships fully equipped and ready for service. The month's work in
the United States in comparison with previous months is shown in the
following table of tonnage produced:
1918. Tons.
January 88,507
February 123,625
March 172,611
April 160,286
May 263,571
The May deliveries comprised thirty-nine requisitioned steel
vessels, four contract steel and one contract wooden ship. In
the last six days of the month there were delivered one wooden
and fourteen steel ships, totaling 82,760 tons. The best
previous week was that ended May 4, when the deliveries totaled 80,180
tons.
Launchings kept pace with the number of ships completed. Among the
vessels launched in May was the Agawam, the first "fabricated" ship in
the world, "fabricated" being the technical term applied to ships built
from numbered pieces made from patterns. Approximately 27 steel mills,
56 fabricating plants, and 200 foundries, machine, pipe, and equipment
shops were engaged in the production of the parts.
On June 1 it was unofficially stated that there were in operation by
the United States Government 2,200,000 deadweight tons of shipping
engaged in the transportation of troops and supplies and in kindred
work for the army. Reviewing the shipping situation as a whole, Edward
N. Hurley, Chairman of the Shipping Board, in an address on June 10,
said:
On June 1 we had increased the American-built tonnage to over
3,500,000 deadweight tons of shipping. This gives us a total
of more than 1,400 ships, with an approximate total deadweight
tonnage of 7,000,000 now under the control of the United States
Shipping Board.
In round numbers, and from all sources, we have added to the
American flag since our war against Germany began nearly 4,500,000
tons of shipping.
Our program calls for the building of 1,856 passenger, cargo, and
refrigerator ships and tankers, ranging from 5,000 to 12,000 tons
each, with an aggregate deadweight of 13,000,000. Exclusive of
these, we have 245 commandeered vessels, taken over from foreign
and domestic owners, which are being completed by the Emergency
Fleet Corporation. These will aggregate a total deadweight tonnage
of 1,715,000.
This makes a total of 2,101 vessels, exclusive of tugs and barges,
which are being built and will be put on the seas by the Emergency
Fleet Corporation in the course of carrying out the present
program, with an aggregate deadweight tonnage of 14,715,000.
Five billion dollars will be required to finish our program for
1918, 1919, and 1920, but the expenditure of this enormous sum
will give to the American people the greatest merchant fleet ever
assembled in the history of the world, aggregating 25,000,000 tons.
American workmen have made the expansion of recent months
possible, and they will make possible the successful conclusion
of the whole program. From all present expectations it is likely
that by 1920 we shall have close to 1,000,000 men working on
American merchant ships and their equipment.
We have a total of 819 shipways in the United States. Of these, a
total of 751, all of which except ninety are completed, are being
utilized by the Emergency Fleet Corporation for the building of
American merchant ships.
In 1919 the average tonnage of steel, wood, and concrete ships
continuously building on each way should be about 6,000. If we are
using 751 ways on cargo ships and can average three ships a year
per way, we should turn out in one year 13,518,000 tons.
The total gross revenue of our fleet is very impressive. From
the ships under the control of the Shipping Board a total gross
revenue is derived of about $360,000,000.
An appropriation of $1,761,701,000 for the American merchant marine
was provided in the Sundry Civil bill reported to the House on June 10
by the Appropriations Committee. The amount recommended for ships and
shipping was $1,282,694,000 less than the Shipping Board requested,
but Chairman Sherley explained that receipts from the operation of
ships could be devoted to building charges, and that no curtailment
of the building program was contemplated. Of the Shipping Board total
$1,438,451,000 was for construction in this country, $55,000,000 for
building American ships abroad, $87,000,000 for establishing shipyards,
$60,000,000 for operating ships heretofore acquired, and $6,250,000 for
recruiting and instructing ships' officers.
As the result of an agreement between the United States and Japanese
Governments, twenty-three Japanese ships, aggregating 151,166 tons
deadweight, have been chartered to the United States for the allied
transport services. On June 4 it was announced that twelve Japanese
ships, obtained either by purchase or charter, had arrived in Pacific
ports and were being transferred to the Atlantic Coast.
More than 400,000 tons of ships were released to the United States and
the Allies by Sweden under the terms of the commercial agreement signed
at Stockholm by representatives of the two Governments. Under a modus
vivendi, in effect for some months, the War Trade Board had permitted
exports to Sweden in sufficient quantities to meet immediate and urgent
needs.
The shipbuilding situation in the United Kingdom has shown considerable
improvement, as seen in the following table of merchant vessels, in
gross tons, completed in British yards and entered for service: