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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

George I. Gay, Commissioner, Planning Division, to Raymond B. Stevens, Vice-Chairman, Shipping Board, and Representative, Allied Maritime Transport Council

Chronological Copy.                            File No. 42/2/4

          Cablegram Received March <19, 1918.> 30021

Origin Opnav, Washington                             Ser. No. 4034

     C-3  21 Mar

          21 D

Simsadus.

4034. Planning Division 8 for Stevens. Your 31 received.1 You must realize that Shipping Board has not built up Statistical Staff comparable to England’s and our deficiency cannot be remedied immediately. Cable organization here will be perfected as soon as possible. If any figures sent are incorrect we will gladly repeat. Have you received by mail following data: daily movement report contract data sheet of Emergency Fleet Corporation[,] list of American vessels over 1500 dead weight tons[,] list of accepted and reconveyed vessels as of 1 March. Please acknowledge above and our cable.

     Delivery by months in dead weight tons of steel ships. Contracts cargo boats one January 1 February 8800 tons each. Requisitioned January 7 cargo 44,716 tons 3 tank ships 37,925 tons 10 total 82641 tons.

February

11

Cargo

71,800 Tons

1

Refrgierator

10,000 Tons

2

Tank Ships

23,900 Tons

1

Collier

8,600 Tons

15

Total

114,300 Tons

March 9th

4

Cargo

23,800 Tons

1

Tank Ship

10,475 Tons

Total

5

Ships

34,275 Tons

 

     Revised estimate of deliveries 1918 of steel ships on authority of Emergency Fleet Corporation in dead weight tons per month.

March

Whole month

1

Contract Cargo

8,800 tons

14

Requisitioned Cargo

104,000 tons

7

Tank Ships

70,000 tons

2

Colliers

13,500 tons

April

2

Contract Cargo

12,000 tons

28

Reqisitioned Cargo

157,000 tons

3

Tank Ships

27,000 tons

May

5

Contract Cargo

29,000 tons

48

Requisitioned Cargo

215,000 tons

4

Tank Ships

36,000 tons

1

Collier

5,000  tons

June

14

Contract Cargo

100,000 tons

23

Requisitioned Cargo

157,000 tons

5

Tank Ships

49,000 tons

July

23

Contract Cargo

137,000 tons

25

Requisitioned Cargo

153,000 tons

3

Tank Ships

24,000 tons

1

Collier

9,000 tons

August

13

Contract Cargo

77,000 tons

22

Requisitioned Cargo

126,500 tons

1

Tank Ship

9,000 tons

2

Colliers

13,500 tons

Total

58

Contract Cargo

364,000 tons2

157

Requisitioned Cargo

913,000 tons3

23

Tank Ships

215,000 tons

6

Colliers

41,000 tons

         

 

     In reg<a>rd to above figures tons should be noted that: they may need further revision downward. Also calculating trans-Atlantic using deliveries on Pacific Coast must be counted 2 months later and deliveries on Great Lakes out (cut?) in Half because unsuitable.

 

January

Pacific Coast Deliveri<e>s

 

 

1

Contract Cargo

8,800 tons

 

3

Requisitioned Cargo

25,500 tons

 

1

Tank Ship

10,475 tons

 

 

Great Lakes

 

1

Requisitioned Cargo

3,100 tons

 

 

February

Coast

 

1

Contract Cargo

8,800 tons

 

6

Requisitioned Cargo

50,600 tons

 

2

Tank Ships

23,900 tons

 

 

Great Lakes

 

5

Requisitioned Cargo

21,200 tons

 

 

March

Coast

 

2

Requisitioned Cargo

12,100 tons

 

1

Tank Ship

10,475 tons

 

Estimated delivery March Coast

 

1

Contract Cargo

8,800 tons

 

11

Requisitioned Cargo

86,200 tons

 

3

Tank Ships

31,425 tons

 

 

April

Coast

 

1

Contract Cargo

8,800 tons

 

8

Requisitioned

58,900 tons

 

1

Tank Ship

   10475 tons

 

Great Lakes

 

1

Contract Cargo

3,350 tons

 

4

Requisitioned Cargo

13,230 tons

 

 

May

Coast

 

2

Contract Cargo

18,200 tons

 

10

Requisitioned Cargo

80,800 tons

 

1

Tank Ship

10,475 tons

 

Great Lakes

 

3

Contract Cargo

10,600 tons

 

32

Requisitioned Cargo

101,790 tons

 

 

June

Coast

 

5

Contract Cargo

45,800 tons

 

 

10

Requisitioned Cargo

87,600 tons

 

1

Tank Ship

10,475 tons

 

Great Lakes

 

5

Contract Cargo

17,700 tons

 

6

Requisitioned Cargo

19,400 tons

 

 

July

Coast

 

7

Contract Cargo

63,900 tons

 

7

Requisitioned Cargo

58,000 tons

 

Great Lakes

 

13

Contract Cargo

46,100 tons

 

9

Requisitioned Cargo

29,230 tons

 

 

August

  Coast

 

4

Contract Cargo

31,600 tons

 

5

Requisitioned Cargo

41,700 tons

 

1

Tank Ship

    9,000tons

 

Great Lakes

 

7

Contract Cargo

24,750 tons

 

8

Requisitioned Cargo

25,830 tons

 

 

Total Estimated Deliveries

 

Coast

 

20

Contract Cargo

177,100 tons

 

51

Requisitioned Cargo

413,200 tons

 

7

Tank Ships

71,250 tons

 

Great Lakes

 

29

Contract Cargo

<102,500> tons

 

<65>

Requisitioned Cargo

189,400 tons

 

<213,780> tons

                                         

 

Estimate for balance of year and for wooden and composite ships will be sent when revised by Emergency Corporation. Are you receiving cable on neutral negotiations sent to Sheldon4 by War Trade Board which I have requested. Should be communicated to you. Full contact situation established here. All your cables go to Shipping Board and War Trade Board and Sheldon cables come to me. Shall answer your other requests as soon as possible. Signed Gay. 21019.

Benson.                

N.B. “Situation” comes garbled.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: This document has not been located.

Footnote 2: This figure was later corrected to “363,800”.

Footnote 3: The number of requisitioned cargo in this row was later corrected to “160”, with the corresponding tonnage figure emended to “912,500”.

Footnote 4: L. P. Sheldon was a member of the staff Stevens assembled to assist him with his duties as the United States’ representative to the Allied Maritime Transport Council.

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