The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

“gai elses United States Now Second in World Shipbuilding Volume chant shipbuilding is now lower than at any time since pre-war days, says a statement just issued by Lloyd’s covering returns from all maritime countries except Russia during the quarter ended June 30 last. No Russian returns are avail- able. As compared with the previous quarter, a decline of about 175,000 gross tons is shown, and the pres- ent world total is almost 1,340,000 tons below that of the period just before the war. ~— The contrast in conditions in the principal groups of _ shipbuilding countries is shown in the following table, the figures representing con- struction under way in the past two quarters: Te volume of the world’s mer- June 30, 731 Mar. 31,’31 Great Britain and Prelands2.3sss.cess 555,603 693,814 United States .... 301,489 231,003 Other countries.. 968,895 1,075,049 World: total: ........ 1,825,987 1,999,866 As a result of the shrinkage in ship construction in Great. Britain and Ireland, the United States is now building only about 250,000 gross tons less than those countries. In the previous quarter the gap was more than 460,000 tons; and a year ago it was in excess of 1,150,000>tons. Just before the war, Great Britain and Ireland led the United States by about 1.575,000 tons. Less than a third of the world’s merchant on- nage is now being built in Great Britain and Ireland, whereas, hardly more than a year ago they were building more tonnage than all the other maritime nations combined. The decrease in world shipbuild- ing is also strikingly shown by the returns giving the new work begun and the tonnage launched during the quarter ending June 30, last. The comparison between launchings and new work in the past two quarters is shown in the following tables of gross tonnage: New York— June 30, ’31 Mar. 31, ’31 Great Britain and ireland: 3;2.5:....:. 22,105 32,085 - Other countries.. 208,754: 203,482 World total ........ 230,859 235,567 Launchings— Great Britain and SPONGE 60555655008: 169,202 144,219 Other countries.. 297,268 249,759 World total. ........ 466,470 393,978 General declines were shown dur- ing the last quarter in the construc- _ tion of steam and motor tankers of 1000 gross tons each and upwards. For all countries combined there was a decrease of about 135,000 tons from the total for the quarter end- ing March 31 last. For Great Britain and Ireland the decline was 56,000 tons, and for the United States 16,- 500 tons. Not much tanker tonnage is now being built in American ship- yards. The following table of gross tonnage shows the contrast in tanker construction during the past two quarters: June 30, '31 Mar. 31,’31 Great Britain and Ireland: 655587 243,315 299,513 Sweden: is... 85,100 108,600 Germany = cia: 82,090 104,950 Hollands: 3200. 69,800 71,800 United States . 10,500 27,000 Other countries.. 137,005 149,740 World total ........ 627,810 761,603 Motor tankers represent 526,699 gross tons of the present world to- tal of tanker building, as compared with 663,122 tons in the March quar- ter. At the beginning*of this year, about 350,000 tons more of motor- ships than of all other types were being constructed. The contrast be- tween the two groups in the last two quarters is given in the follow- ing table of tonnage: June 30; ’31 Mar. 31,’31 Motor Vessels...... “870,698 1,047,146 Other types ...... 955,289 952,720 World total: <:... 1,825,987 1,999,866 Great Britain and Ireland shows the greatest decrease in motorship construction, with about 80,000 gross tons less building there than in the previous quarter, while for all other countries combined the de- cline in the same period has been only about 95,000 tons. And while only thirty-eight per cent of cur- rent construction in Great Britain and Ireland is motorships, for the other shipbuilding nations combined, the figure is fifty-two per cent. This latter figure, however, compares with sixty-three per cent at the be- ginning of this year, at which time forty-eight per cent of British and Irish construction was also of motor- zied types. The comparison of types of ships building in these groups of countries at: present is shown in the following tonnage table: Great Britain Other and Ireland countries Motor Vessels .... 213,394 657,304 Other: types: <i... 342,209 613,080 PE OE suytrcstcacoves ons 555,603 1,270,384 The general character of the de- cline in motorship building is shown by the returns from the countries that have been most active in this type of construction. The comparison between countries in the last two quarters is given in the accompany- ing tonnage table: June 30,731 Mar. 31,734 Great Britain and Ireland “..3.0.3:. 213,394 295,042 Germany. s.6508s086 118,395 120,161 Holland: ove ees 102,984 115,065 Sweden © ciscevcsisece 101,100 133,450 DOENMA VIC 7. ccse esse 87,115 108,666 United States .... 15,125 34,885 MARINE REview-—August, 1931 While the aggregate horsepower of oil-engines and_ reciprocating steam engines being built or installed throughout the world during the quarter just ended showed a de- crease, the figures for steam turbines made an advance. For oil engines the total indicated horsepower was 796,837 at the end of the June quarter, as against 873,- 680 at the close of the March quar- ter. For Great Britain and Ireland the drop was from 165,774 indicated horsepower to 134,367. Italy’s fig- ure fell from 118,000 to 112,000, and that of the United States from 19,760 to 13,805. Germany, how- ever, in the same period, showed an advance from 113,370 to 168,446. For reciprocating steam engines, the aggregate indicated horsepower for all countries declined from 200,- 865 at the end of the March quarter to 145,065 at the end of the June quarter. In the same period the to- tal for Great Britain and Ireland dropped frrom 109,385 to 80,340. For the United States the total de- creased from 7550 to 4800. The total shaft horsepower of steam turbines for all countries combined advanced from 987,260 at the end of March to 1,036,790 at the end of June. The United States showed an advance from-284,700 to 334,200, and Italy’s figure increased from 208,000 to 287,000. France gained very slightly, her total mov- ing from 106,000 to 106,800. For Great Britain and Ireland, however, there was a decline from 379,760 to 845,090. The comparison of the various countries in tonnage under way in the last two quarters is shown in the following tonnage table: June 30, 31 Mar. 31,31 Great Britain and Trelande 32.0.7 555,603 693,814 United States 301,489 231,003 BPrancee 3. cae: 211,940 232,115 Tally See ieee 170,658 174,452 Germany 130,651 135,951 Sweden 110,355 141,305 Holland 108,299 120,630 Denmark 90,655 114,711 Spain eke 60,700 47,874 JAPAN! Sues 46,269 57,200 Of large ships, each of 20,000 gross tons or over, eighteen are now being built, as compared with fourteen at the end of March. United States shipbuilders lead, with seven of these vessels under way. Five are being built in Great Britain and Ireland, and France and Italy are each con- structing three. Patrol Boat Bearings Seven 165-foot United States coast guard patrol boats being built by the Bath Iron Works Bath, Maine, are being equipped with Cutless rubber bearings manufactured by the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Co., Akron, O. The boats are twin screw and each boat will have four rubber bearings, two for 71%4-inch shafts and two for 5- inch shafts. 61