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Show IWIOCOOTCin SUBMMINE CHASERS Secretary Daniels Calls a Conference at Washington Washing-ton to Make Plans. WASHINGTON', Mar.li ID. Plans for tho immediate construction of a large number of submarine chasers for ufce by the oavy in coast patrol tvork uill bo discusseri with niotorboat huilil-ers huilil-ers at a conference called by Secretary Daniels to meet, here Monday. The types of boatn to bo ordered, as well us the number, it is understood, will depend de-pend on what the builders say as to the capacity of their plants. Jn order to use the small boat shopB that, dot the American coasts, it is proposed to build many chasers of wood instead of steel, in order to draw ou an entirely different character of skilled labor and also lessen the strain on the malarial market-On market-On Monday also the major shipbuilders shipbuild-ers will furnish the secretary with data necessary to distribution of the navy buildinfl programme under the speeding-up speeding-up requirements recently authorized by congress. Representatives of the manufacturers manu-facturers who supply machinery and equipment for naval vessels will see . the secretary later to discuss their part in the speeding tip process. Naval officials generally favor the larger boats for use of submarine chasers. chas-ers. A boat 1 10 feet long would be able to keep tho sea continuously m or- dinary weather for a considerable period. pe-riod. Heavier guns could be carried also than on smaller craft, and living conditions for the crew would be better. bet-ter. Small boat builders have not done commercial work of that size to any great extent, however, and it may be necessary to order several types in order or-der to get quick delivery. It has been estimated that the first chasers could be constructed in two months or less, and that duplicates could be produced at the rato of thirty to fifty a week thereafter. The engine supply probably would be the governing govern-ing factor,' but it is believed that with authority to require manufacturing plants to take navy orders this condition condi-tion can be met. |