Show CONTRACTORS ARE BEHIND TIME V VV V V IN CONSTRUCTION OF WARSHIPS Washington Feb V 22 The president has been in correspondence nce with wih Sec See Secretary Moody respecting the ie matter mater of ot delay in the construction of o ves vessels sels and the secretary in turn has called caled upon the chief constructor for a statement of conditions SV in fl various shipbuilding yards where naval work is going on The secretary has sub submitted submitted a letter In the nature of ot a re report re report port to the president including with wit it I Ithe the chief constructors report In sub suu substance substance stance these letters show sho that while wie through a number of causes cues the build building buildIng ing of warships has been delayed and ad the th dates of their completion have been and will wi be considerably beyond the dates originally set the naval construction lion tion ton in the th United States is 15 not ma materially materially behind the naval construction of England and Germany German In the matter of time Secretary Moody argued that that it I would be a mistake to offer ofer a bonus for the T i completion of vessels ahead of contract time and adds that two months ago he directed that no further extension of time be permitted except by his own I personal order The chief constructors report shows I that there are seven seve causes for delay in naval work namely inadequate I plans changes in armor or armament or r design delays de s In delivery delvery of armor I and ordnance delays in government inspection delays dela s in structural steel stel delays to inadequate facilities and in insufficient sufficient ent ability in the contractors staff staf and delays due to inadequate sup supply supply ply of skilled skied labor All AU of these sub subjects subjects subjects are treated in detail in the re report report te port por and the point is made that after all aU the apparent greater grete speed in Eng E g lish Ush ship yards ards Is due to the fact that tha t the vessels are delivered by the con contractors contractors contractors tractors in very ver incomplete condition to the government which spends sev several several several eral years yearn in many instances in equip equipping equipping ping the ship for commission |