Show WARTIME CRAFT CRAF AWAITING END I t 56 Ships Are Ar Rusting at Anchor Anchor An An- 0 chor Mississippi in in f. f New v Orleans Anchored Anchored in mud and rusting into decay as ns they face an abandoned old a ape age e 50 GC steel ships i part of a once mighty fleet that had a n direct bearing on the ending i- i of the World war lie lie In the Mississippi MissIssippi Mississippi Mis Mis- river rl here hele t t The Tho ships designated by a sign sign- I I 1 t fo board as aR the U S. S Fleet I G Were part of the bridge of vessels ves els that America rushed to completion t r near the close of the war They i i Were vere to have been he en used to transport transport transport trans trans- American solF sol sol- port more F diers to foreign n soil to carry foodstuffs foodstuffs food- food I stuffs stuns and munitions to the tho gr great great- at j i est expeditionary force Coree In the history his his- i tory of the world After the armistice the fleet quickly was Vas turned to carr carrying Ing r foodstuffs to stricken European 1 countries and returned unused t I I v For I munitions to the United States Foreign For For- eign tonnage mostly was destroyed In the war and this reserve fleet gave America unchallenged supremacy supremacy su SUo su- su of the sea American wheat heat and cotton was moved to all ports ports' I of the world America was Independent Inde lade pendent and wealthy Soon foreign ships began to appear appear ap ap- ap pear again and trade began to slacken so the less desirable of the American ships were up Some were sold and transferred to service service sen ice under foreign flags Hags The superior superior su suo su- su perlor craft were left in the service service ser ice but the weaker ones were sent to to marine graveyards to be i stripped Many of at the vessels here have been heen partly stripped A lone watchman rules supreme on each but he guards Ills his charge even from cameramen who might reveal the condition of the boats hoats Some of the ships shillS easIl easily might be reconditioned |