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Be February, 1916 a widely international character. Nor- wegian shipping interests, unable be- cause of the war to place their work to advantage with European builders, awarded to the American yards _per- haps a dozen freight ships. Three of these went to Chester, Pa., others to a Baltimore plant, and several to lake yards. Still others were under negotia- tion at the beginning of 1916. Tank vessels, principally for the oil trade, have been in extraordinary demand. The number of these awarded or built in 1915 was approximately 45. The Standard Oil Co. was the largest single buyer. This company and its allied in- terests placed about 25 of these ships. The Clyde Steamship Co., unable to find a berth on the coasts, placed three 2,500-ton ocean boats with the Great Lakes Engineering Works of Detroit. The Toledo Shipbuilding Co., Toledo, took orders for a number of schooners for Atlantic ocean service, while the American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, received four or more vessels of Wel-. land canal size from Norwegian trans- portation companies. In addition to the large amount of the merchant work during the year, there has been an increase in tonnage demanded for the navy, almost entirely for the United States government. Five battleships—-PENNSYLVANIA, MISSISSIPPI, NevapA, OKLAHOMA and IpaHo—have been under construction during the year. The battleship Moreno for the Argentine republic was completed at the Camden yard. In addition, there have been under construction a number of destroyers, submarines, colliers and miscellaneous craft for the American government. The Argentine republic ordered an oil steamer from the Fore River Shipbuilding Co. and at the same plant, ten submarines were completed for the British government, to be shipped upon the conclusion of the war. The extensive manner in which the capacity of the shipyards now is occu- pied, undoubtedly, had a considerable measure of influence upon the action of the national administration in awarding the 1916 program of two battleships to government navy yards. Much Capacity is Added The natural result of the broad and rapid expansion of shipbuilding in this country in 1916, has been the construc- tion of much new yard capacity and the rehabilitation to accommodate large vessels, of plants long since idle or capable of producing only minor craft, From Bath to Tampa, the Atlantic coast has been visited with a wave of extensions and enlargements which has given the nation the largest industrial potentiality in its history for creating and maintaining a modern navy of com- THE MARINE REVIEW merce. New ways have been built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Mass., by the Maryland Steel Co., Sparrows Point, Md., by the Har- lan & Hollingsworth Corporation, Wil- mington, Del., and by other companies. Cramps at Philadelphia and the New York Shipbuilding Co. at Camden, N. J., have been carrying out important enlargements. The betterments under- taken by the Fore River company have been on a large scale. Apart from the new way, they have included a new plate shop, machine shop, power house, larger crane service and other improve- ments. The new way at this plant is of the double type, 138 feet wide and 800 feet long, capable of berthing the largest warship. The Chester Ship- building Co. acquired the old Roach plant’ at.-Chester” Pa: and. has. ‘re- ire KON} AS ears. | TX Nia fide, | ee a a & ¢ | 3 EA, se % 17 Al has overtaken the shipbuilders of the country? Whatever they are, it is cer- tain they are not of the making of the United States government, directly speaking. In fact, the great revival has been brought about despite not only the lack of constructive support on the part of the nation’s present leaders but also in the face of crippling and obstructive legislation, of which the La Follette sea- men’s act stands out as a last word of folly. Happily, a set of circumstances beyond the control of the nation or any single set of men, has been the potent factor of the present movement. These have had to do mainly with the great war overseas and are both the direct and indirect consequences that have flowed from the complete readjustment of the world’s commerce, attendant upon that conflict. The war has been SHIP WAYS OF .THE FORE RIVER SHIPBUILDING CORPORATION, SHOWING : ' THE NEW GANTRY CRANE SERVICE — modeled it for the construction of mod- ern vessels. This company’ has orders for three boats for Norwegian shipping companies. The Standard Shipbuilding Corporation was formed to take over the Townsend & Downey plant on Shooters island, New York harbor, and will specialize in the production of modern steel ships of a limited number of standard types. The Continental Trading Co. was formed and acquired the old Mallory yards at Mystic, Ct. This company now is planning to build two Norwegian vessels. Many other changes of considerable importance have been wrought among Atlantic coast yards, all with the single purpose of constructing larger ships for the ocean- going trade. What are the underlying causes for this remarkable reversal from struggling existence to independent prosperity that the predominant influence which has precipitated the present situation; as a secondary and contributing cause, the Panama canal has been important. Shortage of Tonnage It is clear that the war has brought about a shortage in the supply of ocean carriers, for the present needs of inter- national trade. So many of the mer- chant vessels of the belligerent natiotis, which have included the two great mari- time powers of the world, Great Britain and Germany, have been lost to the peaceful pursuits of commerce,’ by sink- ing, capture, internment or commandeer- ing for army and navy purposes, that a serious stringency has arisen. Further- more, British shipyards have been heavily engaged with work for the Admiralty, and have not been able to devote their energies to making up the