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Show BIG FLEET ASSURED. la -pit.- nf tin- s.-piaMde l.etw.-en Ma- ' jor i;i-!,-ral Coithals and Mr. D'-nman, . . ii o were vie. -led by the ,re si den t to, l eim-lrin-t a great merchant fleet for the j Cniled States, uork under the ni-'v , chiefs is progressing rapidly and newl comes from YVa.-Ii i ngt on to the etfe,-t hhat in a little more than a year we j --hall have l'iuo ships with a total ton- nage of !l,U0ii,0"0. This will put us next to Great llritain in tue number of ships ! afloat and if we secure a fair share of ! the foreign trade of the world we shall ultimately take the lead on the high ! seas. Most of these ships are not ievia-ilhiins-of the -deep, but they will servo their purpose very Well both during and lifter the war. It needed a war to bring home to the American people the necessity for , niainPiining a merchant fleet, but the laws passed Ivy congress from time to time in the last fifty, years precluded the possibility of tho American flag's floating over any considerable number of vessels engaged in the ocean carrying carry-ing trade. But the exigencies of war forced the statesmen to sit up and take notice, and, as a result, we are going to transport our products across the seas in our own bottomH in future, unless, of course, there is interference upon the part of congress, which does not appear ap-pear probable just now. . But there will be strong competition all over the world. Japan is throwing all of her energy 'and spare cash into shipbuilding and Great Britain will have plenty of merchant vessels left after allowing for submarine sinkings from now until the closo of the war, although she is handicapped at present in her building operations by lack of men and materials. Work in the shipyards ship-yards of all other countries is practically practical-ly at a standstill. Great credit is due Chairman Hurley of the shipping board and Admiral Capps, manager of the emergency fleet corporation, for the manner in which they have worked together to-gether for the country's good. There have been no disputes as to who was bossing the shipbuilding and no complaining com-plaining speeches, at thevbauquet table, instead, there has been the most gratifying grati-fying exhibition of harmony and an evident determination to overcome all obstacles. The result is found in the official statement that by this timo next year the L'nited States will have tho long-sought fleet of merchantmen and that hereafter we shall not be compelled com-pelled to use British, Duteh,-Norwegian,-Japanese or tho merchant ships of any other country in order to "send our products prod-ucts abroad. |