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Show IRES PLEA FOR lOOEl SHIPS Value as Supplement to Large Steel Carriers, Senator Says. By Universal Service. WASHINGTON', Xov. 29. A plea for the continuation of wooden ship building build-ing was made today by Senator Fletcher of Florida, chairman of the senate commerce com-merce committer, in a statement defending" defend-ing" the wooden ship program which th.s government adopted shortly after its entrance en-trance into the war. Senator Fletcher declares that the wooden ship has proved its sea worth t-i t-i ness and Us value as a supplement to the larger steel carriers. He says a j propaganda against the wooden ship has , been started, b tsed upon what he con-i con-i tends are false reports. He complains of the "effort to stifle or destroy an im- portant industry in this country when ! there is no reason or sense in such a j course." The statement given out by Senator Fletcher was in answer to a letter which was sent several days ago by Charles Piez, general manager of the Fmergeney Fleet corporation, to Representative Albert Al-bert Johnson of Washington, in which Mr. Piez said that Mr. Hurley, while abroad, intends to sell or offer to sell the wooden ships which the United States contracted for, but which have not been started. Unless some of the foreign countries buy these ships, Mr. Piez says, the contracts, amounting to 150 in number, num-ber, will be canceled. Senator Fletcher is unable to agree with such a coarse, and points out that of the ninety-eight wooden ships delivered deliv-ered up to the 20th of November,- seventy-six have already carried cargoes or sailed in ballast for loading ports. The number launched is 367, work has been commenced on 193, and contracts have been let for 171 additional. Three of the wooden ships have been lost, two by storm and one by being struck by lightning. |