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September, 1916 tralia, the Philippines and _ foreign islands of the Pacific increased from 1,990,105 net tons in the fiscal year of 1914 to 2,374,272 net tons in 1916, and of these amounts American net tonnage increased from 100,833 net tons in 1914 to 288,588 net tons in 1916. Table V shows that the gains have not been uniform, but there have been marked increases and decreases in shipping facilities between the United States and the countries and colonies comprised within the limits named. Clearances to “other Asia”, show the greatest increase from 89,176 net tons in 1914 to 618,610 net tons in 1916. During the past year “other Asia” has meant mainly Vladivostok, and the tonnage increase shows ship- ping facilities provided for the export of locomotives, cars, rails, motor trucks and steel products generally to Russia through Siberia, Russian Black Sea ports being closed and Baltic ports, especially Riga, partly closed during the year. The effect of the withdrawal of the Pacific Mail ships to Hongkong is to be noted and clear- ances to the Philippines also show a marked decrease. The Philippine figures do not include government transports. Shipping to Nearby Foreign Ports The gain of 602,700 net tons in ex- port clearances of shipping from the United States across the seas and into waters which are, to a greater or less extent, the zones of naval and sub- marine operations and of war risk has been offset, however, by decreased clearances to foreign seaports on or near the coasts of North America. In 1914 these amounted to 14,750,083 net tons; in 1916 to 13,420,158 net tons. The principal decreases have been in clearances to the British West Indies, preoccupied with war, 738,649 net tons, and to Mexico, Haiti and the Dominican republic, disturbed by in- ternal dissensions, 688,717 net tons. In North American waters the for- eign clearances of American. ships show a large gain, but proportionately not so great as in overseas trade, advancing from 4,395,082 net tons in 1914 to 7,296,777 net tons in 1916. While the figures are larger, they represent a much smaller number of ships and these of less tonnage than the figures for overseas trade, because the voyages in American waters are relatively short and the same ship clears often during the year. To Cuba, Panama and Central America the American tonnage more than doubled in the year, as shown in Table VI. Out of 38,895,261 net tons of ship- ping cleared on ocean voyages to foreign ports during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1916, 9,745,082 net tons THE MARINE REVIEW were American, or 25 per cent; in the fiscal year 1914, out of 39,622,486 net tons only 5,141,324, or 13 per cent, were American. Including frequent but short fresh-water foreign trips to Canada across the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence river, American ton- nage in 1916 was 34 per cent of the total. Progress of American Ship Building Steel merchant vessels building or under contract to be built in private American ship yards at the beginning of the new, fiscal year, July 1, 1916, 325 soon as practicable, and the remain- der before July 1, 1919. For com- parison, on June 30, 1914, British ship yards were building 90 war ships of -592,545 tons displacement, of which 76 of 458,175 tons displacement were building at private yards. The unusual growth of steel mer- ‘chant ship. building in the United States during the past 12 months is shown by the summary shown on Table VII of (a) steel merchant ships building or under contract to be built in private American ship yards on Table VIII. Merchant Tonnage Building in U. S. Yards Shipyards. American Ce a er ee Od Cr ed eC eT et ST Sr Me SACRE e Oia 9s 6s 016 Teh sheer ese etieie) #018 ie masa e vene 0/0 16h 0)) 610/060 10 0.0.6) @le.e se 0 eee ey Cee ee Tt ee Bee ie er er erry Maryland Steel Co., Sparrows Pt., ne Merrill-Stevens Co., Jacksonville, Fla... Moore & Scott Iron Works, Oakland, Cal. Newport News Ship Bldg. & Dry Dock ‘. Coy Newport: News,. Vaciocss ic ceiee. New York Ship Building Co., Camden, TIONG SING oY. ee tate a Geek ee neta ea Tampa Fdy. & Mach. Co., Tampa, Fla.. Tank-Ship Bldg. Corp., Newburgh, N. Y. Texas Steamship Co., Bath, Me........ Toledo Ship Building Co., Toledo, O..... Union Iron Works Co., San Francisco... Willamette Iron & Steel Works & North- west Steel Co., Portland, Ore......... Wm. Cramp & Sons Ship & Eng. Bldg. Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Total Ce re rr ay ed 1Detailed statement of new contracts not received, Merchant To be launched during fiscal construction, year ending: July 1,1916. June 30,1917. June 30, 1918. Num- Gross Num- Gross Num- Gross ber. tons. beri. tons. 2 ber; tons. 105 49,394 105 49,394 See tEte oe 82,200 18 56,800 5 25,409 24,500 7 24,500 3 21,600 3 21,600 2 375 2 ST eis ee 11 53,600 11 53,600 1 560 1 560 2 56 2 56 2 500 2 500 12 276,400 9 254,944 3 21,456 1 | ae | Ae ees bavenny 15 58,940 11 43,830 4 15,110 4 360 4 360 i ic Weeee oe 5 63,959 9 40,144 6 23,815 6 3,400 6 3,400 AR Sa 300 1 300 8 10,700 6 6,200 2 4,500 10 58,705 8 47,546 2 11,159 4 2,500 4 2,500 3 Soe goa 5 18;000 2 10,000 Z 8,000 16 111,947 10 66,699 6 45,248 24°, 121,838 18 98s eS ae ane 16 12,906 10 3,306 6 9,600 7 42,600 5 30,300 2 12,300 6 35,720 6 35,720 ‘ PONG sa 3 730 3 730 eo 6 28,800 4 19,200 2 9,600 5 5,241 5 5,241 1 2,000 1 2,000 A zs 1,500 3 1,500 4 See 4 26,000 2 12,600 2 13,400 9 22,620 6 17,220 3 5,400 31 °201,158 25 7149,958 6 51,200 5 28,500 5 28, S00 oe oe ae 2 78,400 12 78,400 Soe ce 385 °1,225,784 327 927,893 58 297,801 ?Incomplete, a according to builders’ returns to the bureau of navigation, department of commerce, numbered 385, of 1,225,784 gross tons. It is interesting to recall that the new naval appropriation bill provides the largest naval building program in our history. The new battleships, battle cruisers, scout cruisers, and other types of warships and auxiliaries number 157 of approx- imately 855,000 tons displacement, to be built at an estimated cost of $588,- 000,000. Of these 66 of about 382,000 tons displacement are to be begun as 1 July 1, 1915, and on July 1, 1916, and on the first day of the past five months, (b) new contracts for steel merchant ships entered into during the past ‘five months, and (c) steel merchant ships built in the United States and officially numbered during those months. For comparison, on March 31, 1916, private ship yards in the United King- dow had under actual construction 423 steel merchant ships of 1,423,335 gross tons. As British ship yards are almost wholly engaged in naval construction