Pe ee ey ee Tr eer ad ~~ 
2 pare a 8 oy 8 8 Bae 54 
INTRODUCTORY PROCEEDINGS. XXXVil 
PRESENT CONDITIONS. 
The result has been that in the United States especially every vessel afloat, some ex- 
tremely old, but every one available for the service, has greatly increased in value; every 
shipyard has been filled with orders for approximately two years, and many new yards have 
been established for the building of steel vessels; many old yards that built wooden ships 
have been resuscitated and many new yards also started for the building of wooden vessels. 
We are today, in our own country, in the midst of a shipbuilding boom unequaled in 
its history. It is to be remembered that command or freedom of the seas, depending on 
the point of view, is one of the very important causes of the war abroad and that whatever 
may happen on land, at least Great Britain, Germany, France and Japan have the intention 
of being prepared, the first to hold and better, if possible, its present superior position, and 
the others to increase the value of theirs while the United States must now, if ever, regain 
its once formidable place on the seas of the world. There must naturally from these condi- 
tions come a great competition which will enlist all of the skill and efficiency of every nation 
having a merchant marine. 
What is the condition today of the merchant fleets and what will be the tonnage require- 
ments and the capacity of the world’s shipyards in 1918? We have seen that the greatest 
production (the measure of capacity) of the world’s yards up to 1915 was 3,687,000 tons. 
We estimate that in the year 1918 the capacity of the world’s shipyards will be about as 
follows :— 
Tons. Increase, 
per cent. 
United Kingdom, colonies and Canada................... 2,260,000 14 
United States coasts and Great Lakes................... 826,000 53 
(Gamaiany, oes ABT each a DET Re cae he Reeds mie ante ee De Ble Peg 605,000 30 
PMMMGoOtherrCOUntTiesm my.cse See h lack ia K GIs Selon niche Sis 809,000 16 
Motaleeeeeaew ne ene UyN eae NR Ree ALES te hcca SMe Ai 4,500,000 23% 
Tons 
The normal tonnage of the world this year amounts to about.......... 50,000,000 
Of this there has been a tonnage— 
Tons 
Destroyed wnee son les ue tanicle seb eae bes dsl a bast. hl 3. OOOI0O0, 
@ommandeered (ye) vets ee tok cide Aieinns sd Blau bascoe 3 2000000 
ntennedh uss ewe ae eet eceee ers bb a iecW slice has gues) 4400 OOO 
ai Otalicwathid awit enya caiieese a WN a sheasuccetaist ta. Mimies ueeale matted 21,400,000 
Leaving available at present for regular service not more than........ 28,600,000 
or 57.2 per cent of the normal tonnage, which readily accounts for the present high 
freights and high values placed on old vessels. 
