The official records of the Bureau of Navigation of the Department of Commerce show that there were constructed in the United States during 1918 821 sea-going vessels of 100 gross tons and over totaling 2,597,026 gross tons, an unprecedented total for any country in the history of ship-building. Lloyd’s Register accords the highest previous total of ship production for any one year to the United Kingdom, whose shipyards launched in 1913 1,932,153 gross tons of vessels of 100 gross tons and over. The ship production of the whole world during that year was 3,332,882 gross tons of vessels of 100 gross tons and over. The construction of sea-going vessels in the United States during the last six months of 1918 was at the rate of 3,600,000 gross tons a year.
On a single day, July 4th, 1918, there were launched in American ship-yards for the United States Shipping Board 95 steel, wood and composite vessels of 3,000 deadweight—approximately 2,000 gross—tons and over, totaling 474,464 deadweight, or approximately 316,310 gross, tons. And in the month of October there were completed and delivered to the Shipping Board vessels of 2,000 gross tons or over totaling 283,652 gross tonnage, which exceeded by nearly 100,000 gross tons the highest output of vessels of 100 gross tons and over for any month in the ship-building history of any other country.
From being almost a non-ship-building country the United States had sprung in a year and a half to the position of world leadership in ship construction.
A Shipyard in the Making
Copyright by Brown Bros.
The Fifty Shipways, Each with a Ship in Construction, of the Same Yard One Year After Work Began Upon It
The whole nation hung with eager interest upon the progress of the shipping program and during the first summer of our participation in the war, when it was being hampered by disagreements and delays, there was much anxious protest. The unprecedented winter of 1917-1918, with its bitter weather, shortage of coal and railroad congestion, also interfered with the forward movement of shipping affairs. But when at last it began to be manifest that the urgent need for ships would be met the country threw itself with enthusiasm into a helping attitude. Business and professional men took their vacations in shipyards and in overalls with sleeves rolled up they offered whatever aid, whether muscular or mental, was in their power. Hundreds of college students joined the army of shipyard workers. Business firms offered prizes to stimulate the speed of riveters, among whom were made some world’s records.
In line with the government’s purpose to carry on its entire war effort in harmony with democratic aims and methods, a systematic program of education was instituted by the U. S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, whose chief purpose was to increase the efficiency of the workers by enlarging their vision and appealing to their intelligence. In every shipyard stirring talks gave the men information, which many of them at first lacked, about the meaning of the war, why America had entered it, what would be the significance of victory and of defeat to them and to the nation, why the ships were needed and what the labor of each of them meant to the battle lines across the ocean. These talks made the ship-workers see that, under the emergency, to build good ships as rapidly as possible was to give a great service to humanity. The program was well organized and hundreds of speakers—soldiers, ministers, professors, business men—addressed shipyard meetings, explaining, urging and inspiring. Effective posters in every yard gave pictorial point to their message and kept it constantly before the eyes of the men. Pamphlets and circulars were distributed among them that told them in direct and vigorous language the significance and importance of their work. The plan met with signal success and from week to week could be seen a steady growth of enthusiasm and determination, while improved morale and new ideals of citizenship were also evident.