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to be used with the battle fleet while the light cruisers which they want are defensive weapons for use chiefly in guarding Great Britain’s wide flung trade routes and that this class of vessel is therefore her greatest need and that a cut in naval build- ing should be in the larger and cost- lier vessels. They do not for a - moment admit that the United States has a sea trade to protect and they insist that we are self-supporting in war time. The implication here is that we do not need an overseas mer- chant marine and that we are never likely to have one. We cannot accept this dictum, and sooner or later we must have a merchant marine com- parable to our position in the world both for national prosperity and se- curity, since it is not possible to live by ourselves apart from the rest of the world. Our vital need of a mer- chant marine could not have been more clearly demonstrated than it was during the last war. The American compromise proposal of a total of 400,000 tons in cruisers, 18 of them to be of 10,000 tons and the remainder in 7500 tons or less is fair to Great Britain and could be accepted without endangering in any way her just interests. Under this arrangement the United States hav- ing 8 of this size authorized would have to-build 10 more. Also in addi- tion to the 10 cruisers of 7500 tons each which she now possesses. the United States would have to build 20 more of this tonnage bringing the total cruiser fleet up to 48. Purely naval parity in cruisers is far from actual parity when the num- ber of large fast merchant passenger ships which Great Britain possesses is taken into account. Only three vessels of this class have been™ con- tracted for in the United States since the war. There is no immediate pros- pect of private initiative undertaking the building of vessels of this class. If we are to continue to maintain any link in the overseas passenger liner and express cargo trade it is essential that something be done at once about replacements. The least that could be done would be to authorize the immediate recon- ditioning of the AGAMEMNON and Mr. VERNON as recommended after a thorough investigation by competent experts. Action should also be taken to provide at least two new large fast transatlantic liners to be used with the LEVIATHAN to build up and to con- solidate the very definite position now held by the United States lines in the service to Europe. Such a line could, with proper support similar to that given by all other governments, be made to pay so that it could be placed under private operation. Without replacements and additions to our existing overseas marine it is bound to disappear from the seas and any idea of naval parity will mean no more in actuality than a scrap of paper or dependence on the good will of those nations which are powerful on the water not only in naval ves- sels but in merchant ships. Additional Vessels are to be Pigclhiced ping board through the main- tenance and repair department of the Merchant Fleet Corp. has steadily pursued its original program of. con- verting 12 laid up steam freighters to diesel drive. This work has been car- ried out under the direction of Capt. R. D. Gatewood, manager of main- tenance and repair. It is natural that a great deal of delay had to be en- dured and many difficulties had to be overcome in carrying out this ambi- tious program. In the first place it was the object of the board to foster the art of diesel engine building in the United States and it was therefore necessary to distribute the orders for engines to as many responsible con- cerns as possible. ee the fall of 1924 the ship- After nearly three years since the inception of this project it may be well to pause and to review for a mo- ment its present status. In an accom- paning table are listed the names of the vessels chosen for conversion also the make of engine installed, the yard where the conversion was carried out and the date at which the sea trial of the completed vessel was held. At the time of this writing seven vessels have completed their sea-trials and are now engaged in regular long voyage serv- ices. One vessel the CITY oF DAL- HART is having her trial trip and on the successful issue of such trial will immediately go into service. Of the four remaining vessels, three are to be fitted with double acting en- gines built respectively by Hooven Shipping Board Diesel Conversion Program Name of Vessel Yard Newport News S. B. & D. D. Co. Newport News S. B. & D. D. Co. Fore River Plant, Bethlehem S. B. Corp. Fore River Plant, Bethlehem S. B. Corp. Fore River Plant, Bethlehem S. B. Corp. Newport News S. B. & D . Newport News S. B. & D. D. Co. Newport News S. B. & D. D. Co. Newport News S.B & D SAWOKLA City or RAYvILuE.... Ciry or DaLHartT YomaAcuwIcui Fore River Plant Bethlehem S. B. Corp. Tietjen & Lang, Hoboken Todd Shipyards Corp. Contract Not Awarded 12 Date of Sea Trial Nov. 8, 1926 Dec. 12, 1927 Nov. 29, 1926 Jan. 14, 1927 Feb. 19, 1927 Mar. 12, 1927 April 27, 1927 Abt. July 25, 1927 Abt. Oct. 10, 1927 Abt. Nov. 15, 1927 Abt. Sept. 30 1927 Engine Worthington D.-A. Worthington D. A. eos & Seymour, MeIntosh & Seymour McIntosh & Seymour, Busch Sulzer S. A. Busch Sulzer S. A. Busch Sulzer S. A. Busch Sulzer S. A. Co; Dio, McIntosh & Seymour D.A Hooven, Owens & Rentschler D. A. New London Ship & I 30 day test Engine Co. D. A completed July 17, 1927 MARINE REVIEW—August, | 1927 Owen Rentschler Co., McIntosh & Sey- mour and New London Ship & Engine Co. In the table the double acting en- gine is designated by the initials D. A. The first two of the engines have been delivered and are now being installed in their respective hulls at the Fore River plant of the Bethlehem Ship- building Corp. and at the Tietjen and Lang yard, Hoboken, of the Todd Ship- yards Corp. One of these vessels it is expected will have her sea trial about Sept. 80 and the other about Nov. 15. The third double acting engine com- pleted its thirty-day non-stop run on July 17. It is presumably ready for delivery now and the contract for its installation in the S. S. Wutuscox will shortly be awarded. So much for the status of the 12 first shipping board vessels. Reports received by Captain Gatewood on the performance of those vessels already in service indicates that they are giv- ing every satisfaction and are econom- ical in fuel consumption. The first of: the converted vessels the TAMPA, for instance, was commissioned Nov. 8, 1926, sailed immediately on a voyage to Germany and Belgium and made a record voyage for vessels of her class. After that late in January she entered the Atlantic coast-South American service. Her engine operated most ef- ficiently and developed a steady av- erage power sufficient to give the vessel a service speed of 11.8 knots. (Continued on Page 50)