Decline

Lloyd's Register of Shipping announced last week the countries which led in shipbuilding in 1925. As usually Britain and Ireland headed the list, having turned out 1,084,633 tons. But the U. S., which had been third the year before, dropped to fourth place in 1925 with only 128,776 tons, and Italy stepped up into third place. The order in which various countries have stood in shipbuilding in recent years:

1st 2nd 3rd

1911 Britain Germany U. S.

1919 U. S. Britain Japan

1920 U. S. Britain Japan

1921 Britain U. S. Germany

1922 Britain Germany France

1923 Britain Germany U. S.

1924 Britain Germany U. S.

1925 Britain Germany Italy

Almost simultaneously, the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. announced that it would lay the keel of the "largest merchant vessel ever contracted for in an American shipyard", a ship for the Panama Pacific Line, over 600 feet in length, to carry 745 passengers.