98 AMERICAN CLASSIFICATION OF AMERICAN VESSELS. 



Looking to this end, a committee of reorganization was appointed at the meeting on Oc- 

 tober 8, 1915, consisting of P. A. S. Frankhn, Chairman; Antonio C. Pessano, Walter Wood 

 Parsons, Charles Skentelberry, Harvey D. Goulder, and William A. Dobson. 



A number of meetings of this reorganization committee were held in the latter part of 

 1915 and the early part of 1916. At these meetings various maritime matters were dis- 

 cussed, including the renewal of negotiations contemplating an amalgamation of the Bureau 

 with Lloyd's Register of Shipping, as well as one with the Great Lakes Register. Ultimately 

 it was determined not to make the contemplated arrangement with Lloyd's but to continue the 

 American Bureau of Shipping as a vital force in American shipping, it being the judgment of 

 the committee that such course would be for the best interest of American shipowners, build- 

 ers and underwriters, and from the fact that people in this country began to have a belated 

 sense of national pride in the affairs of the merchant marine which called for the classification 

 of American vessels by an American society and to desire insurance of American vessels and 

 cargo, by Americans for the benefit of America. 



At the meeting January 13, 1916, Mr. Stevenson Taylor was invited to attend, and on 

 the following day he was made chairman of the reorganization committee at the request of 

 Chairman Franklin, who resigned the office for that purpose. 



GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY FOR CLASSIFICATION. 



Advance in connection with American shipping developed very rapidly from that date 

 on, and congressional action, taken in connection with vessels owned by the United States, 

 made it absolutely necessary that there should be an American Bureau of Classification, 

 recognized as the authority for the proper classification of its vessels. It can be seen clearly 

 that no foreign classification society, or an American committee of a foreign classification 

 society, could be accepted as an authority under which the interests of the American Govern- 

 ment could be properly served. The recognition by Congress of the American Bureau of 

 Shipping as the American authority placed it at once in an official position for the classifica- 

 tion of government vessels and established it as a body capable of advising on kindred sub- 

 jects; to this end, matters such as the determination of load line and freeboard were re- 

 ferred by the Government to the Bureau for advice and cooperation in considering legisla- 

 tion for a government load line for American vessels. It thus became necessary for the 

 Bureau to come at once into the field so largely occupied by foreign classification societies, 

 fully equipped to assume the requirements and duties of an American classification society. 



FOREIGN CLASSIFICATION SOCIETIES. 



It must be recognized that the Bureau had to contend with foreign registration socie- 

 ties, some over a century and a half old, whose growth had been marked by affiliation with 

 insurance and salvaging companies which gave them a commanding position in maritime 

 affairs. It must also be recognized that but five years had elapsed since the American Bu- 

 reau of Shipping began to strengthen its forces and affiliations and to make a faithful and 

 accurate classification of vessels and registry of mercantile shipping contributory to the de- 

 velopment of the merchant marine of the United States of America. 



The record as now compiled is a compendium of the general characteristics of the vessels 

 admitted, in which are given the vessel's name and official number; the signal letters; the 

 material of which the vessel is constructed ; the number of bulkheads and decks ; whether 

 vessel is built with water bottom or not; whether fitted with wireless outfit and submarine 



