Ships Behind Schedule

The shipbuilding score for August: 68 new merchant vessels delivered, 753,000 deadweight tons. This was three ships (36,700 tons) less than output in July, nearly a ship a day short of the projected schedule if this year's eight-million-ton goal were to be reached.

Earlier in the month the picture had looked brighter. One WPB prophet made the headlines with the cheery prediction that not eight, but nine million tons of ships could be expected this year.

But morale-boosting headlines do not make a war-winning merchant marine. The day after the optimistic WPB statement, Admiral Vickery of the Maritime Commission told the House merchant marine committee what had happened. WPB's steel division had slashed the 418,000 tons of steel plate needed by shipyards in August to 368,000 tons. Because of this steel shortage all shipyards were slowed down. Todd's Richmond yard had six of 21 shipways idle, Bethlehem-Fairfield with 16 ways and Calship with 14 ways each had two idle.

Given the material, U.S. shipyards are geared to knock together 29,000,000 tons of shipping in two years. But the material is not yet given.

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