Show 1918 NAW N 6 E TO BREAK EXPECTED TO BE MIL RION clon DOLLARS IN EXCESS OP OF 1917 TOTAL contracts for armor plate awarded two concerns Con cerna sharing the dust dud ness nesa prices being about the same as a three years ago washington while secretary dan aels lel wag awarded contracts on monday for armor plate for or tile the tour four battle 5 hips authorized at tile tho last session of congress and approving plans for an ammunition ship tho the last vessel designed for tile alie 1917 building program the appropriations committee subcommittee sub ot of the house naval committee began world on tho the 1918 estimates the heaviest in american history to be pre tented to congress a winter the navy departments 1018 figures contemplate construction tf bf halt half ot of tile the ships yet to be built in the great three year program and show total appropriations of or more than tit in excess or of the record total appropriated last summer contracts for the armor plate which will go un on tile the battleships colorado maryland washington and west virginia were awarded to the bethlehem and carnegie steel companies each receiving half of the work A statement ment analyzing the says that despite the unprecedented european demand for plate the prices ot of fared were approximately the same as those paid three years ago when the pennsylvania was being constructed ted |