Show i floo I SHIPS HIP SUNK A T TI I IN NAR WA I II I I More Moe Vessels Destroyed I in Ten Months Than I Any Nation Has Built in Years says Hurley By International News S Service Dec 1 The I.-The The i VV V V Germans Germans' have sunk more I British British ships in th the first ten tenI I months of their unrestricted U-boat U warfare than Great Britain or or any any other nation has built bunt buntin I in A ii 1 full year This and other startling revelations t were made today when Senator GIlbert Gilbert Gilbert Gil- Gil i bert M. M Hitchcock of ot Ne made I a a. a letter r cem d Ch Chairman N Thirl Hurley y r the 1 United States shipping board showing I Ithe the status of the tho American shipbuilding I ing tag program program Figures comp compiled led from I II official reports show that the GerI Germans Ger- Ger GerI I j I mans maDS have sunk something over oyer I I British vessels of more than deadweight in ten teD months I 1 I Chairman Hurley Harley informed Senator Hitchcock that the greatest shipbuilding lag ing feat aD any nation had ever accomplished pushed was that of England in Ia 1913 when vessels of tons were completed The Japanese m in I 1914 Mr Hurley Huxley said built three forty-three ships of tons This was the j I I biggest tonnage by any nation except Great Britain BEATS ENGLAND'S RECORD The American program unless it is held up by unforeseen events willI will produce tons by me end of ot I 1918 Of ot this amount about arone tons will be completed in 1918 alone I thus surpassing Great Britain's best effort by about a million tons Details of ot the program were forwarded to Senator Hitchcock in reply to his re request request request re- re quest for information The United States now has available for trans Atlantic service ships of ot ofa ofa ota I a total of tons including former former former for for- mer German and Austrian vessels and oil tankers Mr 11 Hurley showed that between I January 1 and aDd June Juno this year American shipyards had built and launched seven eighty-seven ships of a taI to total total to- to I tal of tons taD Of OC this total five fifty vessels Vere were of steel 1994 tons while two thirty-two w were re of ot otwood wood tons In this same period Mr Hurley stated contracts were made for ships of a grand aggregate aggregate aggregate gate of tons I Senator Hitchcock asked for details on the labor question and aDd on friction between shipbuilders tho the government and the tho steel men Mr 11 Hurley re referred referred ro- ro him to the department of labor for strike troubles and refused refuse l to go into details publicly on the otner other ques ques- In reply to questions regarding the activities of the now new shipyards Mr Hurley declared that all of them them- that have COD contracts tracts now DOW have tho the ground cleared and will have their buildings and ways completed ready to start actual construction work on the vessels vessels ves yes I sels they are to produce early In 1918 I I I I i i i UP TO AMERICA The new yard at Hog island Penn must deliver fifty shins shins' before November November November No No- I vember 1 1 1918 he said and the Port Newark yard must furnish seven in Juno June The new Bristol Point plant must have four ships ready for tor service sery- sery I ice Ico in May 1 Senator Hitchcock says his questions questions ques ques- were designed partly to to enable him to get information for tor the Ule senate seDate on OD the status o of the shipping boards board's program and partly to enable him to compare shipbuilding progress with vUlt the losses due to the German submarine rine rifle campaign He asked only one ODe question on OD the latter point however however how bow ever evor Have any British French or Norwegian Norwegian Norwegian Nor Nor- Italian or Holland authorities I yet asserted that they are now DOW building building build build- ing new ships as fast as the Submarines rines are arc destroying them 1 ho he asked Chairman Hurley's reply was a short but emphatic No r It will be beup beup beup up to the United States lIe he Indicated in his figures to lo produce new ships faster than tho the Germans sink them providing Joss losses Josses s are not pulled down dO by tt tM II allied navies 6 0 |