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as follows: 1. The ships are subject to com- mandeering by the United States government in the event of a na- tional emergency. 2. They are required to have all licensed officers and two-thirds of the crew composed of American citi- zens. 3. These ships must be of such construction and have incorporated in them special features imposed by the navy in order that they may be readily converted into auxiliary naval vessels. 4. These passenger and combina- tion vessels are fitted with trans- verse watertight bulkheads in excess of the international convention on safety of life at sea. We welcome an investigation of mail contracts by congress, and we appreciate that the continuance of government support is dependent upon the proper administration of the law regarding such support. Fur- ther, we know that a complete in- vestigation will not in any way af- fect the American policy prescribed in the merchant marine act of 1920 which states: “That it is necessary for the na- tional defense and for the proper growth of its foreign and domestic commerce that the United States shall have a merchant marine of the best equipped and most suitable types of vessels sufficient to carry the greater portion of its commerce and serve as a naval or military aux- iliary in time of war or national emergency. ae In concluding his remarks, Presi- dent Gardner said: In accordance with our constitu- tion my term of office is drawing to a close. These are the last meet- ings over which I will have the honor of presiding as your president. I cannot let the opportunity go by without expressing to you my deep appreciation of the _ spirit of co- operation that has prevailed during my tenure of office; the spirit of cooperation that has always marked the activities of this society and has made possible the progress in the ever advancing science and art of shipbuilding. To this progress you by your in- terest in this society have largely contributed and it is an honor to have been associated with and held office in this splendid organization. If, as I am sure, you will continue in the same spirit that hag domi- nated this society for over forty years you will continue to progress and by so doing will fulfill your duty not only to the society but to your country, and I wish the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engi- neers a continuation of this ever- increasing success. WELVE papers were presented during the two days’ meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Nov. 16 and 17. These papers and all of the discus- sions will be published in full in Vol. 41 of the transactions of the society which should be ready for distribu- tion sometime prior to June, 1934. Titles of the papers, names of the authors and brief abstracts follow: Theory of Elasticity, Solution of « Problems by Trial, by L. W. Ferris, visitor. The author is attached to the bureau of construction and repair, navy department, Washington. in this paper it is pointed out that the theory of elasticity is a branch of the science of physics which deals with stresses and strains and that it is intimately related to the studies of light, sound, and the constitution of matter. It is suggested that it is possible for practical purposes to sait- isfy the conditions of elasticity by a trial and error procedure. The author then develops the pro- cedure which appears most practical for calculation by trial and outlines it as follows: 1. State the problem exactly, giv- ing all conditions which must be satisfactory at the boundaries. 2. Assume a condition of strain for the whole area. 3. Calculate the stresses corres- ponding to the assumed strain. 4. Test the resulting state of stress for agreement with the boundary conditions and for satisfying the re- quirements of equilbrium. 5, Adjust the assumed strains as guided by the tests, calculate the stresses again, continue with the tests and adjustments until a close agree- ment is reached. Steps are then outlined for a speci- fic case including the calculation of stresses from assumed strains, and after having tabulated the calculated stresses for all chosen points, the tests for equilibrium are made. In conclusion the author ealls at- tention to the fact that while the design of a structure involves many difficulties other than the evaluation of stresses, the stress analysis is im- portant and will be carried out with increasing thoroughness in the fu- ture. He suggests that all available means for investigating strength, both analytical and experimental, should be used as far as conditions permit in order to give a comparison of the results by different methods. 9 Some Notes on Defects and = Fractures, by William Benneit, member. The object of this paper, according to the author, who is a member of the staff of Lloyd’s Register of Ship- ping in the United States, is to di- rect attention to some of the features of defects and fractures of steel and other materials sometimes met with in shipyards and engine shops. The point is made that a careful study of MARINE REVIEW—December, 19338 the appearance of a defect or fracture can frequently give important infor- mation as to the strength and ductil- ity of the material; also, the cause may be more readily deduced if the particular kind of fracture can be established. A number of interesting illustra- tions show different types of defects and fractures. Some of the more com- mon defects found in steel are de- tailed, separated into two groups, those found (a) in the ingot, and (b) in the rolled material. In the ingot the most frequently found de- fects are: piping, blowholes, segre- gations, inclusions, blisters, and seabs; while in the rolled material, they are: seams, slivers, laminations, pits, laps, clinks, and snakes. The author concludes by expressing the hope that these notes on defects and fractures, collected at random in the midst of other duties, may be of some interest to those less likely to. experience them. He also suggests that many other interesting cases have undoubtedly come to the at- tention of members and that details of such cases should be offered to supplement the paper. In pointing out that fatigue fractures are not in- frequently found at the corner of a keyway in the tailshaft, the author makes the specific recommendation that keyways should be cut with round fillets at the base and end. Fire Control for Passenger ™ Vessels, by George G. Sharp, member. The comparative frequency in re- cent years of serious fires on modern ships makes this comprehensive sur- vey, by a naval architect, who has given much study to the subject, of unusual value to the industry. The paper, which with the appendix is 48 pages in length, is profusely illus- trated with photographs and dia- grams. The author considers it unfortun- ate that so much consideration given recently to the fire hazard on pas- senger ships has been in the light of the many spectacular fires of the last few years, because this is apt to lead to laying the emphasis too greatly upon providing the means for dealing with a conflagration. In the present paper the principal fac- tors in the development of means for controlling fire, particularly in the accommodations of passenger ves- sels, are outlined. Existing practices are compared in order to see where- in they fail, and additional provi- sions are suggested whereby the de- sired end may be attained. On the reasonable assumption that an outbreak of fire cannot be pre- vented, that 100 per cent protection is not an immediate possibility, and that fire will spread, due to the lapse of time between its detection and the funtioning of extinguishing systems, the author proposes that 13 EN LAY ITS a TRISTE DOS IIS AE VRE TARA. Se GSE