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Show Government's Fleet Program 18.2 Per Cent Completed on December First STATISTICS GIVEN Keels Rapidly Being Laid for Steel, Composite and Wooden Hulls. WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. Tho government's gov-ernment's shipbuilding program on December 1 was 18.2 per cent on Its way to completion as disclosed today in an analysis of statistics supplied by the shipping board to the senate commerce com-merce committee investigating progress prog-ress of the work. The program, calling for 8,246,308 tons of shipping is divided as follows: Wood and composite vessels, 437 of 1,551,900 tons, 10 per cent completed; requisitioned steel ships 4?1 of 3,056,-' 008 tons, 39 per cent completed; contract con-tract steel shins 527 of 3.638.400 tons 4 per cent completed. The percentage of completion a3 given does not take into account the construction of new shipyards, in which many of the vessels will be built, or worked on, toward obtaining engines, boilers and other equipment. Of 379 wood hulls contracted for keels have been laid for 166, of which 130 were laid down in yards which did not exist when the contracts were let. The wooden hulls were ordered from seven ty-two- yards of which fiftv-one have been built from the ground up since the contracts were let. The percentage of completion of wooden hulls, figuring on the entire program, which included hulls on which construction was not started vet is 9 per cent. , fifty-eight composite ships for 2 contracts were let, keels have been laid for twelve. These twelve on December 1 were 20 per cent completed. complet-ed. The contracts went to four shin-yards shin-yards three of which did not exist t wuurttu, were made. The three yards virtually have been com! KCnra? they bein conation cona-tion of ships within a few-weks Keels for Steel Ships. Eleven keels for' steel ships have been laid in new yards. These con racts were let for steel ships to thr ty-two yards of which twenty are new l pnerceuUlS f completion of fhe steel program 4 per cent does Z mclude the construction of the'5 n"ew Of the ships contracted for four have been launched, two steeland two |